Of Darkness And Light
by Takei Daloui
Summary: Even in the Wizarding World, there exists the supernatural. Soul Reapers, classified as the darkest creatures in the world, and their counter part, the holy Quincy. But on the day of Voldemort's defeat, they vanished. Ten years later, they are finally returning. And this time, the wheels of fate are moving with them. The only thing left now in doubt is how it will all end.
1. Hope and Despair

Welcome all to the first chapter Of Darkness And Light. This story is essentially following Ichigo through his years at Hogwarts with some of his friends. The world is basically a world where Soul Reapers are part of the magical world so some things will be changed to fit. This is my first fanfiction story so I hope you like it and tell me what you think. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

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**1 - Hope and Despair**

**31****st**** October 1981**

Genryusai Yamamoto opened the door slowly as he returned to the Seireitei, the English Soul Reapers' ancestral home for the past few hundred years. As the door closed behind him, he finally let out the sigh he had been holding in while in public. It was finally over. The eleven years of terror caused by Voldemort and his follows had finally ended. He could hardly believe it. It was even harder to grasp knowing that the one who had stopped him had been nothing more than a one year old baby. Harry Potter he believed his name was. Already though, Albus Dumbledore had proclaimed him to be the Boy Who Lived. It was a straight thing to hear yet there was no doubt it was the truth. Genryusai had known Albus for many years. Even in his youthful mistakes, the one thing he had always been was honest about the things that he said. Sure, he sugar-coated some things and tried to hide other facts but the truth was still there for those who looked. There could be no doubt that this Harry Potter had survived.

"It's funny how a one year old little boy solves all our problems for us so easily," said a voice from the shadows. Genryusai sighed as he slowly turned to face the voice.

"It matters not at the moment Isshin. For now, let the people rejoice in this pause."

Isshin startled for a second before hiding his shock. "That was easier than I thought," he said. "I thought I would have to spend hours convincing you that this wasn't over."

"It is for now," said Genryusai softly as he thought back to the days of the war. "Eleven years is a long time. Even with our limited participation, we still suffered greatly. This break is just what we need to mourn our losses."

Isshin nodded slowly, not needing to even say anything. While few in number themselves, the Soul Reapers had lost a few good men and women, Chojiro Sasakibe being among them. He had been a loyal assistant to Genryusai for many years, showing a loyalty any Hufflepuff would dream of possessing. He could have taken his talents higher than he had reached but he had sworn to serve Genryusai for as long as he lived, and died holding off the Death Eaters while Genryusai helped evacuate nearby wizards to safety.

He wasn't the one who Isshin's thoughts rested on though. Voldemort had thought himself to be almighty, that his lineage from Slytherin gave him a right to dispose of the 'filth' as he called them, better known as muggles and muggleborns. It was this arrogance that turned him towards themselves. Soul Reapers were something to be feared by ordinary wizards. Enough rumours and propaganda had been spread that portrayed them as dark creatures, despite that the few times they got involved, it was always to help. Voldemort believed that he was stronger than them and ordered the kidnapping of one of Isshin's sons, Kaien Kurosaki, to prove that no one was untouched by him. By the time they had realised what had happened, they were too late. Kaien had been taken straight to the Dark Lord.

Genryusai had calmed down Isshin and told his son that he would deal with it. Isshin had accepted the arrangement stubbornly, yet didn't argue with the look in his father's eyes. When Genryusai finally arrived at Voldemort's base later that day, he had found Kaien's body on a spike outside, the life already gone from his eyes, and what seemed to be cuts all over his tiny body. Sufficient to say, Voldemort was lucky to not have been there at the time. When he finally returned, there was nothing left. His base, the Death Eaters left to guard it, the dark creatures within. They had all been turned to ashes. After that event, Voldemort left them alone, half out of respect, and half out of fear. It was those days where people truly feared the power Soul Reapers possessed.

"How is Masaki doing?" Genryusai asked carefully, not wanting to trigger any more painful memories than he had to.

"She's as good as she can be I guess." Isshin shook his head carefully as a small smile crept at his face. It wasn't a happy smile, but the best that could be shown at times like this. "She's been very possessive recently with Ichigo. Spoiling him rotten with the amount of love she's been showering him with. She's even gone so far as to take as many photos as she can and making sure he's constantly okay and safe." The smile faded as he continued. "He spoke his first word yesterday. Kaien."

Isshin didn't have to elaborate on what that meant. It was obvious to everyone that Masaki had been busying herself with Ichigo to avoid dealing with the pain. She was a strong woman, no one doubted that, but even she didn't want to accept her own son's death. And for Ichigo to mention his twin's name so suddenly, he could understand the pain that she must be feeling.

"So Ichigo finally noticed as well," Genryusai spoke finally. "I had hoped he was young enough to not remember him. It would save him so heartache later on if his memories of Kaien are short and few."

"So you would rather his existence be forgotten about," snarled Isshin, taking one step towards his father in anger.

"Of course not," Genryusai shot back. "Kaien was my own grandson. I would never forget him. However the pain of losing a family member is harder on the youngest, especially when that person who died was your own twin. They would have had a bond that only twins would have and for it to suddenly be shattered…"

"They might never recover," finished Isshin.

Genryusai said nothing for a moment. "Yes. Better the bond be broken while Ichigo was young enough so that he wouldn't fall into depression later if Kaien had died when they were older."

Isshin shook his head, cursing himself for agreeing with his father's reasoning. It was at this moment that his brother, Kisuke Urahara appeared.

"I heard about the Potter boy," Kisuke said to Genryusai as he approached, not bothering for small talk.

"And I assume you have already been to confirm things for yourself then Kisuke," Genryusai responded, knowing that Kisuke didn't even need to answer.

"What Dumbledore said was true. The boy truly did survive the killing curse. It's quite extraordinary actually. I have never heard of a wizard that could survive the Avada Kedavra. He was left with nothing more than a lightning bolt scar. The energy it emits though is… disturbing."

"How so?" Isshin asked. "Surely it's just a by-product of surviving the curse?"

"It could be," muttered Kisuke in thought. "To be honest, I don't know what it is and since Dumbledore took the boy into hiding, I doubt I can get access to the boy to check. It wouldn't help my cause considering I'm a Soul Reaper. Even Dumbledore can't get them to repeal those labels they gave us. If we were to look at the boy, they could try to convict us for poisoning the mind of the child of the light."

"The boy will show up in the world in the future. Albus wouldn't hide such a hero forever, not when he is perfect for Albus's plan, whatever it is. No, when the boy turns eleven, he will reappear at Hogwarts. I can guarantee it." Kisuke and Isshin just nodded at their father's statement. What was the worst that could happen anyway?

"Anyway," Kisuke continued, "The Potters' home in Godric's Hollow has seen better days. The front door had been blasted open, the roof has collapsed in on itself, and the windows of the nursery were shattered." Genryusai nodded for Kisuke to continue. "I thought I saw Severus Snape for a second but my eyes were properly playing tricks on me. The think that shocked me though was in the distance. I swear, I could see a half giant man riding away on a flying motorbike." Those few words actually caused the other Soul Reapers to freeze as they imagined the image.

"Part of me wonders whether he is making this up at our expense sometimes," thought Isshin, trying to picture the image he had just been told.

"Anything else?" Genryusai said hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to hear more.

"Yeah," muttered Kisuke as he thought back. "I saw Sirius Black."

Isshin's eyes grew wide at that. "Sirius Black. As in James Potter's best friend, Sirius Black?"

"What other Sirius Black do you know of?"

"The Potter house was under a Fidelius charm," said Genryusai slowly. "They would trust no one more than Sirius Black. Only he could tell the location of the Potters to people."

"That doesn't sound like him," said Isshin carefully. "I was practically leaving Hogwarts when he appeared in his first year but even then, the amount of trust between him and James was astonishing. Even later on when I saw them, they still acted the same. They were brothers in all but blood, though technically, they were related distantly I think. It's hard to believe that he would betray them."

"It seems to be the truth," Kisuke said. "I saw him facing Peter Pettigrew, accused of betraying Lily and James. I don't know what happened next. Suddenly, twelve muggles were killed from an explosion and Pettigrew was gone. Dead maybe. All that was left of him was his finger. I would have stepped in their but I sensed the arrival of the Aurors so I left before they noticed I was there. A Soul Reaper in a place like that would never be a good sign to them. The last I saw of Black was them arresting him. He's probably going to be on trial in a few days unless the Ministry decides to ignore their own laws and just chuck him into Azkaban."

"Time will tell now," said Genryusai. "Let us hope that the time in between this war and the next will be long, though somehow, I doubt things will go smoothly for long."

"I guess you are right father," said Isshin quietly as he left the room. It didn't take him long to find Masaki, her eyes red. He simply embraced her as she turned to him, letting her let out all the emotions she was feeling over Kaien's death. There was one thing for certain that Isshin felt. Voldemort was going to pay one day. And he was more than willing to wait as long as he got his shot.

Genryusai turned back to Kisuke as Isshin left before speaking quietly. "I don't like saying this by I have a responsibility as the head of the Soul Reapers here. Kaien was the back up for Ichigo and now he is gone. I don't doubt that Ichigo will become strong but we have to have someone in reserve in case Ichigo falls before the prophecy has reached its peak. Is there anyone who fits the criteria?"

"There is one boy. Kugo Ginjo. He was born a bit before Ichigo was. He is close enough that the prophecy would accept him if Ichigo failed. He was actually the original prospect but was sidelined when Ichigo and Kaien were born."

"I see," said Genryusai in thought. "Fickle things prophecies are. They don't care for the world and who lives in it. They don't even care who fulfils them, just as long as the person has the qualities they want. A creature of darkness for instance could be a vampire but at the same time could easily be someone who has always stayed in the darkness. They can be interpreted in many ways and all will lead to a different conclusion but the prophecy itself will never change. The only things that exist that aren't in flux, an unchanging monument in the sea of time. Let us hope for the best when the time finally comes."

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**19****th**** June 1989**

"So you finally found him," commented Kisuke as Isshin carried an unconscious Ichigo in on his back.

"Yeah," said Isshin sadly. "Tatsuki told me where to find him. Said he had been walking along that same path for two days, not even bothering to eat or sleep. It really scared her."

"I see," Kisuke said. "Did Miss Arisawa tell you what happened?"

"She just filled in some blanks," replied Isshin. "He and Masaki left the dojo at the usual time and were heading back. She only discovered him the next day when she saw him on the way to the dojo but she could barely get him to respond. The police themselves must have missed him when they found Masaki's body or otherwise they would have brought him home with her."

Kisuke started at Ichigo's still body, only relaxing slightly as he saw for himself that the body was still moving slightly. "We better let him rest. I'm sure Karin and Yuzu will be overjoyed to see that their big brother is back so it's best we let him sleep in either my room or yours. It sounds like he needs the sleep."

"You're right," Isshin commented as he led the way to his room. He carefully placed Ichigo down before leaving and heading back to Kisuke. He was about to ask the question that was on his mind when Kisuke beat him to it.

"The police already completed the autopsy. They can't explain how she got those wounds at all and it can't have been a wizard. The holes are too severe to have been caused by a dark curse. It was more like that she was stabbed by some kind of claw."

"What about the energy around her? It was pure evil."

Kisuke shook his head slowly. "I just don't know. However I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"You're not going to like what I think."

"God damn Kisuke, just tell me," shouted Isshin before a hand was clamped over his mouth.

"Be a bit quieter brother. You don't want to wake Ichigo do you?" Isshin simply stared harshly at Kisuke. "Fine, I get the message." Kisuke took a deep breath before saying one simple word. "Hollow."

Isshin nearly shouted again before he caught himself. Inside though, his mind was screaming in panic. "How is this possible?" he asked carefully. "Hollows are practically extinct. The ones remaining live in solitude in Hueco Mundo. Why would one venture out now?"

"I doubt it was one of them. They're too wise to pull a stunt like that. Besides, they know to avoid anything involving Soul Reapers. There would be consequences for both sides if we went against each other. No, this was most likely a newly birthed hollow. This means either of two things. One is that someone is playing around with powers they can never obtain. This doesn't seem likely though. No one is that foolish now that the consequences are known. The other possibility is actually worse."

"Which is?"

Kisuke didn't speak for a second, looking away in what seemed to be shame.

"Kisuke? What have you done?"

"Nothing," said Kisuke hurriedly. "At least not what you think. I've been researching more into hollows, looking for ways to push past the boundary between the two. The problem lies from the fact that I doubt I'm the only one. I was properly the first though to come up with the idea."

Kisuke would have said more but he suddenly found himself lying on the floor, clutching his cheek. Isshin was standing over him slightly, his fist clenched. "So what has this madman done?" he spat out angrily. "What did you inspire him to do?"

Kisuke looked away again in shame.

"Tell me damn it," Isshin shouted as he grabbed Kisuke by his shirt.

"He or she is most likely skipping the theoretical step or has a different method to me and has already finished the planning stage." Kisuke finally spoke. "This hollow was most likely created from experimentation, most likely on muggles and wizards. Judging by the fact that this is the first time something like this has happened, I would say the success was very recent or just by pure luck."

Isshin let Kisuke drop and watched him fall to the floor. His anger was diminishing but it was still there. "So how do we solve this?"

"I don't think we need to worry about that at the moment," said Kisuke. "I doubt the person expected the hollow to kill Masaki. It was properly an accident on his or her part which would have caused him to go to ground. They won't dare risk something like this again while we are on our guard. Their movements should be halted for now so we will need to prepare for when they act once more."

"I've got it. I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Just do me a favour."

At this, Kisuke looked curiously at Isshin. "And what would that be? It's not like you to ask for something."

Isshin seemed conflicted for a moment before finally confirming his decision. "Don't tell father about the hollow."

"Why not?" Kisuke actually seemed surprised to hear something like this. Surely their father could help. He must have had experienced things like this before.

"I know," said Isshin, answering Kisuke's unasked questions. "But I'd rather keep this between ourselves. The less people who know the better and we both know that if we involve father, the culprit may never show themselves. He's just too powerful."

Kisuke seemed to think this through for a second before nodding in response. "You're right. Best keep this quiet for now. I'll check on a few things, see if there is any leads anywhere."

As both of the two men walked away, neither noticed the man hidden in the corner, a smirk on his face. "The bait is set."

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Hope you liked the first chapter. Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	2. Meetings and Letters

Chapter 2 is here. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

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**2 - Meetings and Letters**

**17th July 1991**

"I can't believe you finally beat me," exclaimed Tatsuki as she and Ichigo walked towards his house. "It's my birthday. Birthdays are the one day of the year where nothing bad happens. So why did you win?"

"Face it," said a smirking Ichigo. "You lost. Get over it."

"You must have cheated somehow," Tatsuki muttered under her breath. "There's no way you could improve so quickly."

"Hey. It was my birthday two days ago. You beat me. We're even."

"But that's different," protested Tatsuki. "You always lose so it doesn't count. At least you don't cry anymore when you lose like when you were younger."

Ichigo could swear he could feel himself going red from embarrassment. "I was four, what did you expect? You had been fighting for a year longer than me."

"Still counts," Tatsuki said smugly. "Of well, I better accept the loss. What are we at? 1 win for you and how many for me? Ten? One hundred? Two Hundred?"

"Alright already," surrendered Ichigo. "But you better watch out. I'll claw those wins back one by one."

The two continued to squabble for the next few minutes as they got nearer to Ichigo's. It had been over two years since Ichigo's mother had died. Tatsuki still had nightmares sometimes about the look on his face as he walked around aimlessly. So lifeless and dead, the normal joy in his voice replaced by a monotone response. The first few months had been the worst but he had gradually gotten better, and with his recovery, the nightmares retreated for the most. While he was still cheerful to a degree, he was much more serious than before with some aspects, one being his dedication to learning. One week after his mother's death, he reappeared at the dojo with a new determination she had never seen before. He stopped crying altogether and never seemed to show any weaknesses but at least he was okay again to an extent. When Tatsuki finally got up the courage to ask what brought up this new determination, he simply said that he wanted to protect those he loved and didn't want to be weak anymore.

"Hey Tatsuki? Earth to Tatsuki."

Tatsuki was snapped out of her thoughts as Ichigo called her, making her realise they had arrived.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked. "You were out of it slightly."

"It's nothing," said Tatsuki, waving Ichigo off. "Just thinking about things."

Ichigo look at her puzzled for a second before turning back and walking into his house, Tatsuki not far behind him. He hadn't taken more than a few steps when a man came flying at him, his foot colliding with Ichigo's face.

"What the hell was that for old man," shouted Ichigo as he picked himself off the floor.

Isshin just gave his son a goofy grin. "You still have much to learn if you can't dodge daddy's super flying kick."

Ichigo's response was to knee him in the groin. "Normal dads don't jump kick their son as he walks through the door. What kid would expect that when he got home?"

"So harsh," exclaimed Isshin, fake tears streaming down his face. "Even Karin is being mean to me today. What did I do to deserve this Masaki?"

Ichigo just sighed as he walked past. Only his dad would do things like this and could get insulted by his seven year old daughter.

"Ichigo," called a voice. Ichigo turned to see Karin standing in the hallway. "You've got a visitor."

"Ah, thanks Karin," said Ichigo as he turned to face her. "Who is it?" He was completely ignored though as Karin had already gone straight past him towards her idol, Tatsuki.

"Hey Tatsuki," Karin said happily. "How many times did you beat up Ichigo today?"

"I have some bad news for you Karin. He beat me."

"What," exclaimed Karin before turning to glare at her brother. "He must have cheated somehow. No one can beat you Tatsuki."

"That's what I said," chuckled Tatsuki, just before Karin's twin, Yuzu, appeared.

"Karin," she said angrily. "You were meant to bring them through already."

"Me as well?" asked Tatsuki in confusion. "Why would someone be here for me already?"

"You didn't tell her Karin?" asked Yuzu.

"I told Ichigo," Karin protested. "I assumed that she would most likely follow."

"Would one of you tell me what's going on?" asked Ichigo in confusion.

Yuzu just waved at them to follow her into the living room where they found Tatsuki's mum sitting on a couch with Kisuke. Karin seemed content to say with her dad and kick him as he rambled on more.

"Mum?" said Tatsuki confused. "What are you doing here? I was going to head back later, you know that."

"It seems something strange has come up," replied Mrs Arisawa as she pointed towards the room's third occupant. Over on one of the armchairs was an old lady with a pointed hat and who seemed to be wearing emerald green robes, spectacles positioned loosely on her nose. "This here," gestured Mrs Arisawa, "Is Professor Minerva McGonagall from Hogwarts. She has come to speak to the both of you."

"Hogwarts?" said Tatsuki. "Strange name for a school." She turned towards Ichigo to ask him what he thought only to find him looking at the Professor curiously.

"Dad told me a bit about Hogwarts," he said slowly, "But I didn't know that Tatsuki was… eligible."

"Eligible?" questioned Tatsuki angrily. "Are you trying to imply something here?"

"Don't worry," answered Professor McGonagall, speaking to them for the first time. "It's not what you think. You and Ichigo are different to other people. Ichigo just didn't know you were like him."

"Like Ichigo? What do you mean?"

"I think these might help." Holding out her hand, she handed two envelopes over to the eleven year olds, gesturing for them to open them. Tatsuki looked at hers she read:

_Miss Tatsuki Arisawa_

_Kurosaki Clinic_

"It was quite hard for the owls to find you two," commented Professor McGonagall as she watched her look at the letter curiously. "These letters update their address with the current location. Normally there is more to go on so it's rare that the letter only contains a house name. If not for that, Ichigo here would have got his letter on his own birthday."

Tatsuki noticed Ichigo was opening his almost lazily, like he already knew what the letter contained. Her curiosity finally reaching its limit, she quickly tore into the envelope to find two pieces of parchment inside.

"Parchment?" she thought as she looked at the two pieces. "Is this a joke? Who uses parchment now days?" Looking over at two, she picked the shorter of the two first and began to read:

_HOGOWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)_

_ Dear Miss Arisawa,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_ Yours Sincerely_

_ Minerva McGonagall_

_ Deputy Headmistress._

There were millions of questions whizzing through Tatsuki's head. Before she could stop herself, she asked the one that stood out the most. "What is a Supreme Mugwump?"

Professor McGonagall looked ready to answer when she froze, not expecting the question. "To be perfectly honest," she began," I don't actually know. I can't keep track of all his political duties. I think it is the name for the head of the International Confederation of Wizards but I'm not sure. I'm surprised though. The first question most muggleborns ask after reading that letter is 'I'm a witch?".

"Oh yeah, right," said Tatsuki, the letter's words finally setting in. "Wait, hang on. Back a bit here. I'm a witch? But how? Magic doesn't exist."

At this, Professor McGonagall began to chuckle lightly. "Of course magic exists. Hasn't anything strange ever happened to you? Something you couldn't explain?"

Tatsuki thought for a second. "Maybe. I thought I broke my arm once. The pain was unbearable and I just wanted it to stop. Then it suddenly did. I didn't understand what happened." Tatsuki's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Of yeah. That must be it. That must also explain why I was able to see ghosts."

"Ghosts," said Professor McGonagall in surprise. "That's… unusual. How long have you been able to?"

"A few years I think," Tatsuki replied hesitantly. "It was a year or two after meeting Ichigo for the first time."

"I see. And you?" Professor McGonagall looked towards Ichigo, causing him to sigh.

"All my life," he muttered. "Wasn't that keen on spreading it around that I could talk to the dead. Tatsuki only knows since she began seeing them when I was interacted with them. Before that, she just thought I was paying my respects."

"Interesting," Professor McGonagall spoke quietly. "Wizards and Witches can normally see ghosts but only at areas where there is a high magical presence."

"You can understand if I ask you to keep quiet about this," Kisuke said, speaking up. "It could cause all kinds of problems and they might be labelled as freaks the moment they enter the castle. You wouldn't want that would you?"

Professor McGonagall wasn't a fool. She could hear the unspoken threat in his words. Tell anyone and she would pay. "Of course," she spoke. "I can understand people being reluctant to expose certain talents. Metamorphmagi and Parselmouths are such examples. Rest assured, your secret is safe with me."

"What's on the other parchment anyway?" asked Tatsuki to Ichigo, ignoring her own letter. Ichigo sighed before reading the list contained:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_ Uniform_

_ First-year students will require:_

_Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please not that all Pupils' clothes should carry name tags._

_Set Books:_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_ The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_ A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_ Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_ A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_ One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_ Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_ The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_Other Equipment:_

_ 1 wand_

_ 1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_ 1 set glass or crystal phials_

_ 1 telescope_

_ 1 set of brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS._

"Where are suppose to get all of this?" asked Tatsuki to no one in particular. A wand? An owl? I never even heard of half these books."

"You wouldn't have," answered Ichigo. "Diagon Alley is the only place in Britain that you can get this stuff."

"Diagon Alley?"

"I can answer that for you," interrupted Professor McGonagall. "Diagon Alley is our equivalent of your… Piccadilly Circus? Yes, that's it. Diagon Alley is hidden in London through the back of a bar known as 'The Leaky Cauldron'. I'm sure that Mr Kurosaki here is familiar with it."

Tatsuki turned to scowl at Ichigo who was looking anywhere but at her. "You knew," she accused. "You knew about all of this and didn't tell me."

"It wasn't his fault," said Professor McGonagall. "It's part of the International Statue Of Wizarding Secrecy. He wasn't allowed to tell you anything since he was under the assumption that you were muggle."

"Muggle?"

"Non-magic folk."

Tatsuki nodded her head in understanding. "Ah, I understand. So that's why Ichigo was talking about eligibility."

"Exactly. Unless you had magic, you would not be able to attend Hogwarts. Though I figured that if he knew you could see ghosts, he would have known." She turned towards Kisuke warily.

"We came up with an explanation for that at the time," replied Kisuke. "Besides, muggles have been known to see ghosts on occasions. That's the reason that haunted houses have appeared. Don Kanonji is a prime example of a these muggles."

"Don Kanonji?"

"He's this TV star for this new show 'Ghost Bust'," explained Ichigo. "His skills aren't a hoax either. He interacts with the ghosts just like we can and helps them pass on to the other side."

"I see," said Professor McGonagall cautiously. "I will have to check out this TV show as you called it. A muggle who can see ghosts is a curious thing indeed. It makes me wonder what else muggles like them would be able to see."

"My little boy is abandoning me for school," came a crying voice from the hall. "Oh Masaki, where did I go wrong?"

"Shut up goat chin."

A fist could be heard colliding with something, causing Ichigo to sigh. "Damn," he muttered. "He's already back to his old self. I was hoping Karin could keep him quieter for longer."

"Should we be worried for him?" asked Professor McGonagall, a concerned look on her face. "I'm sure a trip to St Mungo's would be useful for him. They had people specialised for brain damage."

"Don't worry about him," Ichigo replied as Yuzu left to check on their dad. "He's always been like that. Grandfather even checked him for internal damage when he was a kid and found nothing. It's just how he is."

"I see. Very well then." She quickly turned her attention back to Tatsuki. "Now Miss Arisawa, are you ready to go. I can take you to Diagon Alley now to get your supplied. I assume you want to go, am I correct?"

"Yeah," responded Tatsuki enthusiastic. "Definitely."

"Okay then. Shall we…"

"Actually," interrupted Tatsuki, "Do you mind if I just tag along with Ichigo. It'll be more fun, no offense."

"Quite blunt," thought Professor McGonagall with a smirk. "Of course," she said. "A Witch or Wizard's first trip to Diagon Alley is truly memorable. You wouldn't want an old lady like me tagging along."

"Sorry," said Tatsuki quietly, realising she may have said something rude.

"Don't worry," said Professor McGonagall with a rare smile. "The other muggleborns had one complaint. Time. I simply don't have enough time to spend letting them look around before we need to leave. I would ask others for help but they aren't too familiar with the muggle culture in recent times. And Professor Dumbledore is far too busy that I can't dare bother him. His duties take up far too much of his time as it is. Rest assured, I take no offensive. I just wish you a good time there."

Tatsuki smiled in response. "Thank you. Come on Ichigo." Without waiting for his response, she dragged him out of the room to elsewhere, determined to interrogate him on every other fact that he had hidden from her.

Professor McGonagall watched the two with amusement as they left, laughing in her mind at the situation. She bid farewell to Mrs Arisawa who was leaving before turning her attention to Kisuke. Before she could ask anything, he spoke first.

"You want to know why you had to deliver a letter to someone who obliviously knew they were a wizard."

"I admit, it did cross my mind."

"I can explain that," said Isshin as he entered the room, Karin and Yuzu lured into following Ichigo and Tatsuki, desperate to hear more about Hogwarts.

"Mr Kurosaki," Professor McGonagall greeted. If she was surprised by his sudden 180 attitude change, she hid it well.

"I changed my name when I married my wife," said Isshin. "I doubt you remember me that well. I didn't stand out much at school in class."  
"No, I remember you slightly. Nothing incredible at NEWTs but you passed everything. I never heard much else about what happened to you. I can't even remember what your old name was before you changed it but the owls should have been enough if all you did was change your name. You went through a lot of trouble to hide from the world."

This got a slight rise from Isshin, a bit of anger slipping onto his face before he reined it back in. "I keep my family safe. Above all else. We moved to another house two years ago after my wife, Masaki, died. I wasn't going to let anyone discover us easily. Why look in the same town when all the signs send you elsewhere."

"You believe that people are looking for you? Have you alerted the Ministry? I'm sure the aurors could…"

"No," Isshin cut her off. "We don't trust the ministry. They're too corrupt." When he saw she was about to protest, he quickly interrupted. "How many Death Eaters got free under the pretence of being placed under the Imperius Curse? How much was the Minister paid to forget their crimes and how much is the latest Minister getting paid to enforce their will? No, it's better we stay hidden. To stay in the shadows if you will."

"I see," said Professor McGonagall dejectedly. "If that is your wish, so be it. I won't pry. Just know that if you need help, Professor Dumbledore is always willing to help those in need."

"We'll be fine," said Kisuke joyfully as he led her to the door. "Have a nice day Professor." The moment he shut the door, he turned to Isshin.

"I thought the wards were hiding us," Isshin questioned.

"They are," answered Kisuke quickly. "That's the whole reason those letters couldn't find us. If you don't know exactly where to look, you won't ever get close. That's the beauty of the wards. And when they can't find us, they look for places that have gone missing all of a sudden, likely under the Fidelius Charm. No one would even think that we just moved across town."

"Then how did that Professor get here?"

"She must have found Mrs Arisawa and got led here. There's no doubt that if she saw the name Kurosaki, she would ask about it and would have then led the Professor here. Don't worry. We're still safe here."

"For now," said Isshin sighing. "We'll take the kids to Diagon Alley next week maybe. I'll sort out the clinic so it can be closed at that time so for now, let's just focus on one thing at a time. It's been quiet for ten years. Finally Harry Potter comes out of hiding, unfortunately at the same time Ichigo starts Hogwarts. Something will happen soon and I just hope Ichigo won't get dragged into it somehow. I won't lose anyone else. Not again."

* * *

So that's chapter 2 done Next chapter, we should be visiting Diagon Alley so look forward to it. Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	3. Bars and Vaults

A quick thank you to Isame Kuroda for the idea to incorporate Souken into the story. You will see him more later on as the story progresses. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**3 - Bars and Vaults**

**1****rd**** August 1991**

In the end, it wasn't till the Thursday almost two weeks later that Isshin could take Ichigo and Tatsuki over to London, Kisuke deciding to tag along with them. Mrs Arisawa had offered to look after Yuzu and Karin while they went so it was just the four of them. After a few hours by car, they were finally in London and were walking towards the Leaky Cauldron. Isshin watched the two kids with a smile, both of them barely holding in their excitement. He wished that he could have taken Ichigo to Diagon Alley before but it was always more impressive the first time when you went to get your supplies for Hogwarts. His father had done the same with him and it had made the moment even more memorable. Kisuke nudged him as they got nearer.

"It's been a while since we were last here," said Kisuke joyfully. "The last time I saw this place was at the end of the war. It's was a dump then. I wonder if they managed to restore this place to its formal glory."

"I doubt they can repair it all," said Isshin. "Remember what father did. Sure, Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley can be repaired but what about that third Alley where Voldemort made his base? I can't even remember what it is called anymore and I doubt anyone does. After all, they would likely have forgotten it by now since there isn't even a change to rebuild it. Father doesn't mess around when he's that mad. Even the ash that was left has probably already scattered."

"They would have swept it under the rug. The Minister is in the pocket of the death eaters. Pay him some money, ensure he stays Minister, and he will do whatever they want. He's dancing in the palm of their hands so you can guarantee that they would make sure that it was all forgotten. Why leave a reminded of the place where you suffered your greatest defeat, despite its rich pureblood history."

Isshin gave a quick shake of his head in sadness. "Such a pity. It may be for the better though. It was always extremely prejudiced about who was allowed in. The downside is that we no longer have an idea where they are hiding."

Kisuke turned to Isshin in surprise. "You're talking about…"

"Yeah."

"I guess that is a point," muttered Kisuke quietly. They haven't shown themselves in ten years just like us. Who knows what they have been up to. Do wonder if Soken is still around? He was an interesting guy."

"I just hope that Ryuken is dead."

"Your best friend?"

"What," exclaimed Isshin. "Who said something stupid like that?"

Kisuke just chuckled at his brothers antics. "Come on, you two were always together, each watching each other's back despite your differences. How was he not your best friend?"

"I can deny it all I want," Isshin said with a pout.

"Hey," called Ichigo from ahead of them. "Is this really it?" The two adults could practically here the disbelief in his voice. They followed his gaze to the small grubby-looking pub ahead of them, a small sign outside it saying "The Leaky Cauldron".

"Yep," Isshin said, a child like excitement lacing his voice. "Aren't you happy I finally brought you here?"

"I fell kind of let down," Ichigo commented bluntly.

"Same," said Tatsuki. "I expected something more…"

"Impressive," offered Ichigo.

"Yeah."

"Now now," said Kisuke. "Let's not judge a book by its cover. Follow me." Leading them over, he opened the door and led the kids in, the three of them ignoring the man who had face palmed the pavement at Ichigo's words.

* * *

Tom looked around the bar from his counter as he poured another drink, sliding it along to the customer. "Back to another day," he thought as he absently worked on the orders. It had only yesterday since Harry Potter had walked into his pub. Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. The saviour of the Wizarding world from You Know Who. After ten years, he finally reappeared, and in his pub no less. To say he was ecstatic was putting it lightly. Even after twenty four hours, he still couldn't believe it. He had half expected to wake up the following morning and discover it had all been a dream. It had really helped business that day since everyone wanted a glimpse of the Boy Who Lived. And then there was that incident down in Diagon Alley. He doubted anything would be as much of a surprise as yesterday.

He was proved wrong a few seconds later. An old man walked past him with a young boy, obliviously starting Hogwarts, greeting him as he passed. Tom felt his heart stop as he heard the words.

"Hello little Thomas."

He spun round just in time to see the back door close, his mouth hanging open. There was only one person who called him that. He had met the man when he was a child, helping around the bar. He had just collected his order when the man asked for his name. He had told him and the man had automatically taken to calling him little Thomas. He even continued later on in life, even when Tom was now an adult. One thought was going through his head at this time.

"He's back?"

Looking around the pub, he noticed no one else seemed to have noticed. "To be expected," Tom thought as he turned to one of the empty glasses nearby and began to wash it. "That man always was hard to notice when he wanted to be. A quick charm and most people would find their eyes focusing on anyone but him." He finished one glass and picked up enough. If he thought that that this was enough of a surprise for the day, he was going to be in for another.

* * *

"Hello Tom," said Kisuke as he led the kids over. "You're still running this place? I thought it got demolished during the war, though I suppose it was fixed looking around. Must have had a problem with muggles coming in for a drink until the charms went back up though. Did you get any health inspectors coming round?"

Tom's gaze was frozen on Kisuke, his brain processing who was in front of him. "Kisuke…" he finally blurted out, the glass slipping from his hand.

In a flash, Kisuke drew his wand and had pointed it straight at the falling glass, halting its momentum. A quick flick later and the glass had returned to Tom's hands, the person in question still in shock from seeing the appearance of the missing man.

"Yep," he finally said as he snapped out of his trance like state. "No doubt about it. It's you. Always were quick at drawing. If anything, you've gotten faster."

"Even a reclusive like myself needs to keep up their wandmanship. I can't let myself go rusty after all."

"Sorry about all that. I've already had one surprise today. Another was quite a shock for me. I thought nothing could top yesterday but it seems I was wrong." Looking down, he noticed the two kids by Kisuke. "I didn't know you had children."

"Oh, they're not mine," explained Kisuke. "Ichigo here is Isshin's son and Tatsuki is his friend."

At the mention of Isshin's name, Tom visibly cringed. The orange haired boy looked up at the barkeeper annoyed.

"Let me guess," Ichigo started saying. "Dad has a bad reputation around here."

"I wouldn't say bad," Tom answered hesitantly. He wasn't sure what the best way to say, "Hey kid, you're dad is the laughing stock of a third of all wizards" was.

Tatsuki sighed before turning to Ichigo. "Do you think I'm going to get caught up in his reputation if I'm seen with him?"

"What about me?" Ichigo said scowling.

"It's too late for you. Better I save myself now before I'm dragged down too."

"I'm not that bad," said Isshin, finally catching up with the three. He seemed oblivious to the fact that everyone had looked away from him the moment he entered. "Why are we waiting back here anyway? We haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

"My fault," Tom said as he opened the back door for them. "Enjoy Diagon Alley. Word of warning though. How long did you leave for Gringotts?"

"About an hour maximum," said Isshin confused. "Why?"

"You don't know? But it was all over the Daily Prophet."

"Sorry. We don't get that."

Tom seemed to look at them with pity at that moment. "Wait till you get to Gringotts. You'll see what's going on down there."

"Right…" said a hesitant Isshin as the door closed. Tom turned his back to the door and walked over to the bar again. What a day it had turned out to be. And for those two boys to be starting Hogwarts at the same time, it looked like Harry Potter wasn't the only one who had returned.

* * *

"What was that about?" Ichigo asked as the door shut.

"Forget that," said Tatsuki angrily. "He led us to where he keeps the trash." She looked about ready to punch someone, the others taking a step away from her cautiously.

"I suppose we tortured you two enough," Kisuke said as he turned to Isshin. "Shall I do the honours?"

"Be my guest."

Ichigo and Tatsuki watched doubtfully as Kisuke tapped a sequence of bricks with his wand. With a final tap, Kisuke stood back and… nothing happened.

"Well," said Ichigo scowling. "What's meant to happen?"

"Hold on a second," protested Kisuke weakly. "Let me try again." And he did so, again and again and again. It was five minutes later that Tom opened the door again to find Kisuke clutching his stomach and an annoyed tomboy being held back by an orange haired kid.

"I think I forgot to mention that the password changed when we rebuilt that wall."

"You don't think," Kisuke said in pain.

"Here." With a quick few taps, the wall did nothing for a second before it suddenly started disassembling itself and a few seconds later, a brick archway stood before them, revealing a packed street in front of them.

"Well then," said Kisuke, trying to regain some of his lost dignity. "Shall we go?" No reply was heard and he found out why when he turned around. Ichigo and Tatsuki were frozen in place, both staring at the street ahead of them that had suddenly appeared. "Damn," he muttered as he handed Isshin a few coins.

"Told you," Isshin responded smugly. "They're taking it better than how I acted the first time I saw it. Father couldn't show his face in Diagon Alley for weeks afterwards."

"Come on then," said Kisuke, dragging the two forward through the archway. "We have places to go and things to buy. First stop is Gringotts. You need your gold after all."

Isshin gave a quick wave to Tom as the archway closed before running up to them and keeping pace with Kisuke. They walked through the streets in silence, letting Ichigo and Tatsuki take in everything. The two of them were turning their heads every second, taking in shop after shop. Isshin even decided to point out some as they passed them.

"That there is the apothecary," he said, gesturing at one shop. "All your potion ingredients can be found and bought there, which you can later get once we've been to Gringotts. Now over there," This time he pointed towards a shop filled with owls. "That is Eeylops Owl Emporium. Sell many different types of owls. I would definitely recommend getting one instead of a toad or a cat. Much more useful. They're the primary mail system here after all. Write the letter, give it to the owl, and they just fly off with it straight to the recipient. Amazing how they do it."

"Here we are," Kisuke said, alerting the three. Ahead of them stood a tall white building, dwarfing all of the others around it. "Gringotts. The Wizards' bank. It is said to be one of the safest places in the world except for places like Hogwarts. Of course, it's to be expected with goblins guarding…"

Kisuke's voice drew off as they all stared at the bronze doors. Ichigo and Tatsuki just stared at the goblins guarding the door, impressed with the sight of it. Isshin and Kisuke though were having other thoughts. There was normally just one or two goblins at the entrance. And they normally didn't wear armour geared for battle either.

"So this is what Tom meant," said Isshin warily. "What do you think happened here?"

"Let's find out."

The four quickly walked up the small stairs by the entrance, passing the goblins and entering through the doors. They failed to spot the goblins shifting away slightly from the three males as they passed before shifting back to their posts as the door closed. Inside the room they had entered, a second set of doors stood in front of them. Unlike the bronze doors of before, these seemed to be made of pure silver, words engraved upon them:

_ Enter, stranger, but take head_

_ Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_ For those who take, but do not earn,_

_ Must pay most dearly in their turn,_

_ So if you seek beneath our floors_

_ A treasure that was never yours,_

_ Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_ Of finding more than treasure there._

"They sound dangerous," Ichigo commented after reading the words.

"They are," explained Kisuke. "Gringotts is run by goblins. No Ministry interference. That's what makes it so dangerous and brilliant. No Witch or Wizard can influence the economy for their own personal gain but at the same time, we leave our gold in the hands of those who have no true allegiance to us. Those who would sooner take our gold and run than help us willingly. They respect some Wizards though. Just as long as they share their bank's motto."

"The bank's motto?" Tatsuki questioned.

"Fortius Quo Fidelius" answered Isshin. "Strength through loyalty."

"Ah."

Leading the group through the silver doors, they entered a marble hall, hundreds of goblins everywhere. Some were at counters, weighing coins and examining gems. Others were leading people through one of the endless amounts of doors around them, goblins in full armour watching them carefully as they passed. The sight that made them all annoyed though was the massive line that stood before them. Even with all the tellers available, there was just too many people.

"I see what that guy meant," Ichigo muttered to Tatsuki. "This is just ridiculous."

Isshin just shook his head slowly. "Damn. What do we do now? We don't have time for this."

"You there," called a voice from the side. They all turned to see a goblin at one of the counters calling over to them.

"Us?" Kisuke called back.

"Of course you lot," said the goblin, currently looking rather inpatient. "Hurry up before I change my mind."

Not wasting this change, the four quickly moved past the protesting Witches and Wizards before coming to a stop in front of the goblin's counter.

"You got the key," the goblin said quickly, not wanting to waste any time it seemed.

"Yeah," said Isshin as he slowly took a key out of his pocket. No sooner had he got it out had a hand stretched out a grabbed it from him, called out for a goblin to escort them.

"Will there be any other business before you go down?" asked the goblin.

"Yeah. Tatsuki. You've got the money your mum gave you right?"

"Yeah," said Tatsuki, taking out a purse. It disappeared immediately from her hands just like the key did, the goblin already grabbing the money from the purse and replacing it with the appropriate amount of Wizarding money.

"Thank you for visiting Gringotts today," the goblin said as he handed back the purse, the phrase sounding far too forced. "Gornuk will show you to your vault. Have a nice day."

They didn't even have time to thank the goblin as Gornuk quickly dragged them along through one of the doors, heading down into what seemed to be caverns. The marble was gone, replaced with stone, while torches hung from the wall, lighting the path. After a few minutes of travelling through tunnels, and another few searching for the lost Isshin, they arrived at a miniature type railway station. As Gornuk approached, a cart descended down from above, locking onto the tracks as it hit them. Gornuk climbed into the cart and gestured impatiently for the others to do so.

The moment they were all in, Gornuk pulled a leave and the cart went flying down the tracks. Left, right, up, down. The cart was following all kinds of paths. Ichigo could swear that at one point the cart flung them upside down, but it was going too fast to know if what he felt was actually true. A few more turns and the cart was flying through a large cavern, water below and what looked like a dragon in the distance. All around them, he could see stalagmites and stalactites, growing from the cavern's floor and ceiling.

A few minutes later, the cart began to slow down and pulled up at the edge of a long corridor. Gornuk got out and walked off, the others hurrying to follow the goblin. Drawing the key, Gornuk walked over to a vault and inserted it. A swift turn and small indent appeared in the door, Gornuk stepping away from it. Isshin walked forward to it and looked into his coat. Tatsuki and Ichigo watched from behind as he did something, unable to see past the coat he was wearing.

A click was heard and Isshin let his coat fall back in place, whatever he had taken out of there hidden now. The door slowly opened to reveal piles of gold, silver, and bronze. Isshin walked into the vault to gather some money while Kisuke explained how the economy worked with the coins.

"The gold ones are Galleons," Kisuke began. "The silver ones are Sickles and the bronze ones are Knuts. Now seventeen Sickles are the equivalent of one Galleon and twenty nine Knuts are worth one Sickle. Understand?"

The two nodded their heads as Isshin left the vault, a small item also present in his hands that he tucked away into his pockets.

"All done?" Kisuke asked.

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

And there we go. Chapter 3 is done. Diagon Alley seems to have become much bigger than I intended. I ended up splitting it in half slightly so you will see Ollivanders next chapter. It should be out maybe Monday or Tuesday. The chapter after that won't be out till Friday at the latest then so it may end up being Tuesday.

If you have any comments you want to say or questions you want answered, leave a review and I will do my best to answer them, as long as they don't ruin plot points too much.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	4. Old Friends and New Ones?

Chapter 4 is here, released today instead of tomorrow. Sorry about the problems with chapter 3 but it was out of my hands. Lots of other writers had the same problem. Anyway, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**4 - Old Friends and New Ones?**

One crazy ride later and the group found themselves being roughly shoved outside.

"And don't come back for a while," called the goblins as they shut the doors on them. Ichigo and Tatsuki looked slightly confused at the past chain of events while Kisuke and Isshin seemed to accept it grudgingly.

"And we didn't even get to find out what happened," Ichigo muttered as they walked down the street. "Why were they so… aggressive with us? If anything, they wanted us gone from the moment we entered."

"Some people are wary of our family," said Kisuke. "Not much we can do about it, though the goblins were acting much more aggressively than normal. To let us skip the line like that is normally unheard of. I see what Tom meant but what caused it?"

"Enough about that," Exclaimed Isshin, his face filled with excitement. "We have stuff to buy."

"You do realise that we're the ones going to Hogwarts." Tatsuki gestured towards herself and Ichigo.

The group seemed content to ignore Isshin's protests as they approached 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. As they entered the shop, they were greeted by the lady herself as she worked on some robes for one of her customers.

"You two here for Hogwarts?" she asked politely, looking up from the work she was doing. The two nodded before she gestured them towards some footstools. The moment they stepped on them, they found a long robe being thrown over their heads while she began to quickly adjust it to the right lengths.

While Madam Malkin worked, they two looked towards the person she had just been working on. He was dark skinned with a golden medallion around his neck, shaped like a coin. What really drew their attention though was his size. He wasn't fat or wide, no. It was the other axis.

"First year," Tatsuki asked hesitantly.

The boy simple nodded.

"A first year with that height," thought Ichigo in shock. "He's practically a giant to us." The assessment was quite accurate. Even next to adults, he seemed much older than he was.

At this moment, an old man walked in, looking quite similar to the boy. "Are you done yet Yasutora?"

"Yes Abuelo," the boy said as he stepped down off the stool. He gave a quick nod to Tatsuki and Ichigo before going off with his grandfather somewhere. The two watched the giant of a boy leave before giving each other a quick glance.

"He was…"

"I know."

"There you go dears," Madam Malkin said as she let them down from the stools. "All done. Much easier than he was. I swear, what are you children eating now days."

She continued her rant slightly as they too left, seeing Isshin and Kisuke outside who had somehow not only obtained parchment and quills for them, but also were eating ice cream as they waited.

"About time you two," exclaimed Kisuke as he finished off his ice cream. "Books next and then possibly wands after. Isshin can get the cauldrons and ingredients while we are getting books."

"Hey," protested Isshin childishly. "Why do I have to?"

His protests feel on deaf ears as the three had already walked away, leaving him standing there holding an ice cream cone. Accepting it grudgingly, he went the opposite way towards the apothecary first while the others approached 'Flourish and Blotts'. The three scattered as they went to collect the books, Ichigo finding himself near the back.

"Where is it," muttered Ichigo as he searched for the transfiguration textbook. His eyes scanned the shelf until they fell stopped at a book. It wasn't the book he was looking for though. He felt like he was in a trance, his hand slowly reaching towards the book as if it was calling to him. His hand was almost touching it when his arm was grabbed. He snapped out of the trance and spun round, finding himself facing his uncle.

"Ichigo," said Kisuke concerned. "We've got everyone. Didn't you hear us?"

Ichigo shook his head while Kisuke turned to look at the book Ichigo had been reaching towards. He withheld his shock though as he led Ichigo away towards Tatsuki, his mind contemplating on why Ichigo had reached towards that book.

They met Isshin outside where he was redirected again to get their gloves and telescopes while they stopped to get an owl. Tatsuki and Ichigo had decided to split one since they could just send the letters together and Isshin would make sure her mum got hers. They finally settled with a small brown barn owl which Tatsuki named Kon. They finally meet up with Isshin again and headed off to their final destination. Ollivanders.

* * *

The shop looked slightly smaller than most, and definitely older. There were some slight burns and scratches on the walls, the only sign that the shop had been hit during the war. The windows were filled with dust, a single wand being the only thing that could be seen through them, resting on a faded purple cushion. A sign hung above the door saying 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'.

Ichigo slowly opened the door, a bell ringing as they entered. While the shop was small, they could see shelves packed full of wands all the way up to the ceiling. Ichigo wasn't sure how they were sorted because there was no arrangement to the colours of the boxes and he couldn't see any labels on the boxes.

Ahead of them stood an old man with pale eyes, though in the darkness of the shop, they were more like small moons. This was the man known as Ollivander.

With him though were two other customers. One seemed to be another old man, while the one with him was a young eleven year old boy.

"Very good," said Ollivander, his voice travelling through the shop. "Ten and a half inches long with unicorn hair, sealed in aspen wood. Very good for the charms master and duelist. Quite different from yours Souken. Unicorn hair, apple wood, and twelve and half inches if I remember correctly. The myth about apple wood definitely seems to be true for you."

"Souken?" Isshin and Kisuke's jaws dropped as the old man turned to look at them.

"Ah," he greeted warmly. "Well this is a surprise. I haven't seen you two in ten years."

"We could say the same to you," said Kisuke as he approached the man. "Still working on your dream."

Souken simply smiled up at the man. "I'm still breathing aren't I. As long as that happens, I won't ever give up." His expression turned sombre as he looked towards Isshin. "I am so sorry for your loss. Masaki was a wonderful woman. I still remember the days where she was just a little girl, running around and asking a million questions about the wonders of magic."

"I know," said Isshin gravely. "It's been two years but I doubt the pain will ever go."

"It's for the best," responded Souken. "Pain helps us grow stronger. In my experience, it is better to have love and lost than to have never loved at all. The only way to get rid of the pain would to be to forget the one we loved and that itself would cause even more pain. I remember the two of you getting married. The looks on your faces were just pure joy. Losing that memory would be like slicing your own throat."

"I know." Isshin's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Wait a minute. You were at our wedding? I don't remember you being there."

"Oh, that little detail," said Souken with a laugh. "Masaki sent me an invite but you know what the others would say if I attended. They had already decided to have nothing to do with her when she said she was marrying you so I had to charm myself so they wouldn't see me if anyone was watching. Our two families really need to calm down sometimes. In a lot of ways, we are actually quite similar."

"You know who the old heads are," joked Isshin. "Father is a bit more lenient than your head is but even so, he is still blinded by his sense of duty. It doesn't help that you lot caused some problems in the past."

"The past is the past and the future is the future. We should not let the actions of others define our own. If anything, we were the ones at fault. We refused to understand and left no choice but conflict."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Kisuke said, "But I'm not sure how long it will be until someone gets severely hurt." Souken and Isshin turned to look at what Kisuke meant and saw Ichigo and the other boy arguing, Tatsuki standing back slightly but still had her hands clenched like she was ready to punch something. Or someone.

"Ah," said Souken, seeing the problem. "Uryuu was subjected to a fair bit of prejudice against you lot. He's still a child so he doesn't yet understand that they are just words and not truth.

"Doesn't Ryuken try to stop it? He is his father after all."

At this Souken looked away slightly, as if seeing something they couldn't. "Ryuken has been a bit… estranged from others lately. This extended to Uryuu to a degree when he started taking the others' views. He has gone as far as to stop using his abilities, saying that it does nothing but cause more pain and misery than help and would rather do things without them. I think he is still working at St Mungo's but he won't even talk to me anymore."

Isshin shook his head in acceptance. "He always was a strange one but I can't completely doubt his reasoning. I'll visit him though. See if I can get him talking again. It's not a pleasant feeling when a father and son become unable to interact."

"Thank you Isshin." Souken didn't need Isshin to say which father and son he meant as he turned to his grandson. He didn't need to. "Come on Uryuu," he said as he headed for the door. Uryuu turned towards his grandfather and ran out after him, giving the two Soul Reapers a sneer as he ran past.

Ollivander finally stepped forward after patiently waiting for the other occupants to have caught up. "I wondered when you lot might show up," he exclaimed, a childlike grin on his face. "After just having that boy, I get this one as well. And the Boy Who Lived yesterday as well, it's like Christmas and a birthday all rolled into one."

Isshin was about to say something when a flash could be seen from the backroom.

"Ah," said Ollivander. "So he did show up. I thought he would but I wasn't certain."

The door to the back opened and out stepped Genryusai, his wooden staff hitting the floor as he walked. The air in the room even seemed heavier due to his very presence. "You were expecting me I believe."

"Of course," said Ollivander. "Have no fear about anyone sensing or seeing you here. This shop is intended for privacy. Buying a wand can be quite a private affair for some. Only that wand in the window can be seen and the room itself doesn't let any energy out that can be traced. Your identity is safe here."

"Good," replied Genryusai as he turned towards Isshin. "I trust it is okay that I get to see the wand that chooses my grandson." Even though it sounded like he was asked, his voice caused it to sound more like it had already been decided.

"Of course father," Isshin muttered softly as he turned to Ollivander.

Sensing his cue, Ollivander turned towards the two children. "Ladies first I think. Drawing a tape measure from god knows where, he let it go and watched as it extended and retracted around Tatsuki, measuring all kinds of things, from her arms to her feet to her toes to her eyes. "Which is your wand arm?" he asked as he moved towards the shelves.

Tatsuki looked at him questioningly until Kisuke helped her out.

"Your dominant hand."

"Ah," she quickly replied. "Okay. I'm right handed."  
"Muggleborn I take it," Ollivander said. "I don't remember selling a wand to your parents."

"How do you know?"

Ollivander looked up from the shelves towards her. "I remember every want that I have ever sold. Every wand that I have ever made. I have a knack for sensing people, recognising their traits. It's a crucial thing for a wand maker like myself. Saves us a lot of time in searching. Your presence is unfamiliar compared with that previous boy and the one next to you. But of course, muggleborns are normally more fun. Harder to pick out a wand out when you have little to go on. Try this one."

Quickly grabbing a wand from behind him, he passed it over to her.

"Dragon heartstring, Alder wood, eight and a quarter inches. Give it a try."

Tatsuki did as she was told and gave the wand a flick. Almost instantly, a whole shelf of wands came crashing down. "Sorry," she exclaimed as she felt the wand get snatched from her grip.

"Sorry," Ollivander said happily. "Don't be. From that reaction, I can tell that you will be a tricky one. Such a powerful reaction is good. Your magic won't settle for a lazy or weak wand. No, it wants something complex. Definitely a dragon heartstring but what is the wood that it wants."

Tatsuki let the wand maker chatter to himself as he looked through wands. He gave her a few more to try but each ended with similar results. Finally, he brought out a wand nearer the back.

"Try this one," he said as he handed her a jet black wand." She gave it a hesitant flick and was surprised to feel a warmth spread through her body. "Excellent," exclaimed Ollivander as he looked at the wand. "Dragon heartstring, eleven inches, made of ebony. Very good with transfiguration and combat magic. Wands made of this wood normally like those who are true to themselves. Seven Galleons please."

Tatsuki handed over the money as Ollivander turned his attention to his new victim. "Customer," thought Tatsuki, correcting herself. "Hopefully Ichigo will have an easier time than me."

"Let's see," said Ollivander as he watched the tape measure work. "What is your wand hand?"

"Right," Ichigo began to say before his dad interrupted him.

"Left," Isshin said, ignoring his son's glare.

"Are you certain," said Ollivander. "Wands are always best in the dominant hand. Unless of course, you have another focus that takes dominance?"

Ollivander would have said more but he caught the look Genryusai was sending him and held out his hand, the tap measure returning to it.

"Let's start simple then," he said as he brought out a wand. "Your father used a wand of dogwood, twelve inches and phoenix feather. Let's see how you react to a similar one." He handed Ichigo a wand and let him wave it. It turned out to be a terrible mistake. No sooner had Ichigo waved it had the nearby shelves all been blasted backwards from the wand.

Ichigo looked shocked at the result while Tatsuki was half amazed, half worried. Ollivander had said that a bad reaction meant something good but there had to be a limit when a wrong wand causes such damage.

"Definitely not," Ollivander said as he took the wand away. "Tricky customer aren't you, just like the girl. No doubt the core is right. The phoenix feathers have always bonded particularly with your family. While most don't like their tendency to show initiative, you lot embrace it. So what wood does the wand need?"

Ollivander took to pacing as he looked through wands, calling out as he did.

"Kisuke used beech but I doubt that would work. Your grandfather had a particularly strong wood known as elder but that will refuse you no doubt. It only accepts the strongest around you so as long as you are weaker than him, one would never accept you. Maybe cherry?"

He rushed back out and handed Ichigo another wand. Just as he was about to give it a flick, he found it snatched out of his hand and replaced with another. The process repeated again and again as Ollivander tried wand after wand, seeming to know whether the wand would work from Ichigo just holding it. After a few more, he turned to the back and retreated there, looking for something. Ichigo looked around worriedly but saw that his father just looked bored, not upset. Finally, Ollivander found the wand he was looking for.

"Try this. Phoenix feather, ten and a half inches but made of cedar."

Ichigo did as he was told and tried it out. The moment he touched it, he felt the wind swirl slightly before settling, the wand resting peacefully in his hand.

"Very good," said Ollivander as he looked from the wand to Ichigo. "Cedar wood was what it needed it seems. My father would always tell me how you can't fool someone who owns a cedar wand. I believe something different though. Anyone can be fooled. I just wouldn't want to fool the wielder of a cedar wand. Trust me when I say that I have never once met the owner of a cedar wand whom I would care to cross. Especially if harm was done to those they love. These wielders normally have a strong sense of character but most of all, an unusual strong loyalty. Yes, I expect great things from you Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo froze slightly at his statement. "How do you know my name?"

Ollivander just smiled. "Seven Galleons please.

Ichigo handed over the money and turned to his grandfather who was heading for the back. He looked down at Ichigo proudly before leaving as swiftly as he arrived. Isshin turned towards Ichigo and Tatsuki as Genryusai left.

"Well then," he said as he looked at the two. "Did you get everything?"

The two nodded quickly.

"Good then. We've best be off then. Till the next time Ollivander."

Ollivander waved as the group left the shop. "How curious," he muttered as they got further away. "First a Quincy appears for the first time in ten years. Moments later, a Soul Reaper does the same thing. And for them to be in the same year, this world will undoubtedly change. Will things end the same like the last time something like this happened, or will they end for the better this time."

Shutting the door, he turned back to the shelves and began tidying the mess. After all, it wasn't worth dwelling on what could be right now. Look too far forward and your very actions to get there could cause different results than you intended. You didn't need to be a seer to understand that. Albus Dumbledore knew that better than most.

"Yes," thought Ollivander as heard the bell go again. "Better to focus on the here and now. And at the moment, someone else needs a wand and I will supply them with one. Like always. I wonder if this one will be as tricky as the last." Slowly he turned around to come face to face with brown haired man wearing glasses followed by a dark haired eleven year old boy.

"Hello," the voice said. "I believe Kugo here needs a wand."

Ollivander just smiled uneasily at the man. "Of course Sosuke."

* * *

And there we go. Another chapter done. I hope I portrayed Souken well here. As for Uryuu, his attitude will change. He's more like a stronger Malfoy at the moment for Ichigo. He's only eleven remember and eleven year olds can be very impressionable, especially with who he would have lived with.

Chapter 5 is coming along nicely. It's the start of Hogwarts everyone. Just the Hogwarts express currently but it may stretch into the sorting ceremony. It depends how much more is needed to reach the chapter's minimum amount of words.

I got all the wand woods off Pottermore. I must have spend an hour looking through all the different descriptions, narrowing the list down, and then finally picking the one that I thought suited them the best. I didn't want to create some combination of woods or an ultra special core from a mythical creature. Ollivander uses the three cores for a reason. I don't mind when other cores are used in stories but it annoys me when they go over the top with it.

As for the reason I choose those woods and cores, look on Pottermore. If people want me to go into a big description though, let me know. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you want to know within reason.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	5. Trains and Threats

I'm at Chapter 5 already? Wow. I never thought would keep up at it but the very presence of reviews and followers had given me a lot of motivation. I finally understand why all those stories that you find on this website continue for so long. The writers really get into writing them and sharing them. Anyway, on to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**5 - Trains and Threats**

**1****st**** September 1991**

King's Cross station. A busy station situated in England's capital, London. While always busy, there always seemed to be an unusual amount of people there on a few particular days of the year. This was one of them. Wizards from all over England were appearing here today, taking their children to Platform Nine and Three Quarters for the train to Hogwarts. Not ten minutes before eleven had a green eyed boy with a lightning shaped scar been helped by a red haired family into finding the platform. For the Kurosaki family and Tatsuki though, they had a slightly different problem than simply finding the platform.

"Hurry up old man," Ichigo shouted at his dad as the car swerved through traffic. "Do you want us to miss the train?"

"We'll make it," Isshin shouted back. "We've still got time."

"We have nine minutes," exclaimed Tatsuki angrily as the car drew nearer. "Can we even get there in time?"

"Do you have to go Ichigo?" said Yuzu, her eyes slightly red. This was her fifth time asking this question in twenty minutes.

"Leave it Yuzu," her sister said staring angrily at Ichigo. "If he wants to go, he can go. We don't need him."

"But Karin," Yuzu protested, "You said you wanted him to stay last night too."

Karin glared at her sister while turned red from embarrassment. "I did not," she stuttered out. "You must have been mistaken."

Yuzu was about to say more when Isshin interrupted them. "There it is," he said as he pulled the car into a free space.

The kids turned towards the station before Ichigo and Tatsuki quickly shot out of the car and moved to grab their stuff, the owl being taken by Isshin. A quick check they got it all and a second later, they were rushing into the station, ignoring the protests from the people jumping out of their way. Isshin quickly checked his watch as they ran, swearing silently.

"Damn," he muttered. "Five minutes. Let's hurry."

"Whose fault was this in the first place," Ichigo shouted at him. "If someone hadn't been so distracted, we could have left early."

"I was busy," defended Isshin. "It's not my fault."

"Where even is it?" asked Tatsuki. "Platform Nine and Three Quarters? I've never even heard of it? And why three quarters?"

"It's hidden from the muggles," Isshin said quietly as they ran. "Don't want any random muggles finding it by accident and ending up in Hogwarts. That would cause all kinds of problems. As for three quarters…"

Isshin actually froze in place for a second before running again. "Now that I think about it," he thought, "Why is it three quarters? It's between nine and ten so shouldn't it be Nine and a Half?"

Heading down the gap between nine and ten, he pulled them to the side.

"Alright," he spoke quickly. "Now we need to run straight into the barrier here to get to the station. It will recognise your magical blood and allow you to pass through and reach the station. Are you ready?"

"Let's just go already," said Ichigo impatiently as he looked up at the clock. They had three minutes left before the train left, with or without them.

Being gestured to go first, Ichigo ran straight through the barrier to find himself at a new platform. The platform seemed older and more old fashion compared to the platforms outside the barrier but a simple sign told him what he needed to know. This was Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and there ahead of him was the Hogwarts Express. While the rest of the station looked old despite its well kept appearance, the train looked like it had just been built, not even a scratch able to be seen on the train or damage done to the surfaces. Steam could be seen rising from the front of the train, signifying that the train was getting ready to leave.

It was a good thing he moved forward at the moment because Tatsuki came through just as he did, narrowly dodging the orange haired boy. Isshin followed right after her with Yuzu and Karin.

"Wow…" said Tatsuki as she looked around. "I'm still not used to this magic stuff."

"Join the club," muttered Ichigo as he felt something grab his legs. Turning around, he saw a tearful Yuzu holding onto his legs for dear life.

"Please don't go Ichigo," she sobbed as she held on.

Ichigo looked to Karin for help but saw she was just about containing tears as well, standing back by Isshin. Sighing, Ichigo bent down to comfort Yuzu.

"Don't worry Yuzu," he said softly to her. "I'll be back before you know it. And I'll write every week."

They crying seemed to stop as Yuzu released his legs. "Promise." She demanded looking up at her brother.

"Of course," Ichigo said, giving her a comforting smile. Ichigo was about to head for the train when Isshin stopped him.

"One second Ichigo. Tatsuki, can you get the stuff on the train a second."

"Sure," she answered as she took Ichigo and her own trunks to the train. Ichigo turned back towards his dad as she left.

"Well?" he asked. His father was acting a lot more serious than he normally did.

"Here," Isshin said as he handed a small item to Ichigo from his pocket, the item covered in a white cloth. Ichigo moved to open it when Isshin stopped him. "Not here," he muttered quickly. "Too many people around."

"What is it?" Ichigo asked curiously. His dad was definitely being much more serious than normal.

"What we talked about two years ago," Isshin said ambiguously in case anyone was listening. He didn't need to go into more detail as Ichigo's eyes grew wide.

"Really?" he asked. "You mean…"

"Yeah. Remember one thing. No one can know. Not the students, not the teachers, not even Tatsuki. The knowledge of this technique is not something that should be known to everyone. Guard it with the utmost secrecy."

"Okay," answered Ichigo, seeing the look on his dad's face.

"Good," said Isshin as he turned back to his usual joyful attitude. "Now then, let's get you on that train…" Isshin's voice tailed off as he spoke, his eyes growing wide. "How fast can you run Ichigo?"

"Why?" a horrified Ichigo asked as he slowly turned around. As he looked, he could see the great red train slowly pulling away. "Ah."

"Yeah. Run!"

"Bye Dad, Yuzu, Karin." Like a flash, Ichigo ran towards the train, barely making it before the train started to pick up speed, and climbed aboard. He saw a small red haired girl running after the train like him and really hoped she wasn't a student. Otherwise, she was going to find it really hard to get to Hogwarts.

Turning back to the train's interior, he saw an angry looking Tatsuki standing in front of him.

"Took you long enough," she snarled. "I was considering chucking your stuff outside to join you."

Not waiting for a response, she marched down the corridor, Ichigo quickly following her before she ditched him. After a minute searching, they found a relatively empty compartment. Inside sat the boy they had seen at Madam Malkin's.

"Do you mind?" asked Ichigo as they opened the door.

"Go ahead," the boy said simply, helping them in with their trunks. Without a word from either of them, he lifted the two trunks up and placed them above with his own, the others' jaws dropping from shock.

"You are sure that you are a first year?" asked Tatsuki hesitantly. While the boy had confirmed it before, she still had to check.

The boy nodded. "Yes. My name is Yasutora Sado"

"Nice to meet you Chad," said Ichigo, taking a seat.

"It's Yasutora…" Chad said confused.

"Whatever," said Ichigo bluntly. "It's too long so I'll just call you Chad."

"Nice to meet you Chad," Tatsuki said. "I'm Tatsuki and this guy here is Ichigo."

"Nice to meet you two," Chad said, reluctantly accepting the new nickname. "Are you two muggleborns? You look like it."

"I am," said Tatsuki. "Ichigo isn't."

"I'm at least half blood," Ichigo answered. "My dad won't go into my mum's family much so I don't know if they were magical or not. My mum spoke like she knew all about it but only my dad ever used a bit of magic around us apart from my uncles. What about you?"

"Half blood," Chad simply answered. He slowly turned to Tatsuki. "I would be careful. Muggleborns are treated differently by a lot of pure bloods."

"Like how?" asked Tatsuki curiously. "What's the problem?" She turned to Ichigo only to see him shrugging his shoulders.

"Dad told me some things but we were mostly isolated from the Wizarding world. He kept a lot of secrets on what actually happens."

"It's not good." Said Chad. "A lot of Slytherins are prejudice towards muggleborns and treat them as inferiors." Chad seemed reluctant to say any more.

"I see," said Tatsuki annoyed. "If that's the case, I'll beat up anyone who tries then."

Ichigo sighed as he prepared his mind for the inevitable fights that would occur. He and Tatsuki always seemed to end up in fights half the time, the other half being spent in detention for the fights in question. Hopefully Tatsuki could rope in her temper here or they would get in trouble quickly. As the sun shone through the window, the light caused the medallion around Chad's neck to shine slightly, attracting their attention.

"Cool coin," Ichigo muttered as he looked at it. "You were wearing it when we first met. What's the story behind it?"

"My Abuelo gave it to me," said Chad as he looked down at it. "It's more important to me than my own life."

Tatsuki sighed hearing that. "Strange in my opinion but I'm sure you have your reasons. To each their own. Speaking of things, what did your dad want Ichigo?"

"He just wanted to say something stupid," lied Ichigo. He didn't want to lie to Tatsuki but his dad had looked so serious about it. Luckily, Tatsuki accepted the reason well enough and went back to talking to Chad, asking him some questions that Ichigo hadn't been able to answer.

As the trolley lady arrived, they bought a few different sweets to try. Chad seemed to make a strange face as he tried the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and refused to answer what he had gotten. Tatsuki meanwhile gained a shock when the chocolate frog she was eating clawed its way out of her mouth and escaped for freedom. She didn't touch any others after that. Picking up the card confused, she turned to Chad.

"What's this?"

"Chocolate frog cards," he answered. "Famous Witches and Wizards have their own card. Who did you get?"

Turning the card over, she came face to face with a black cat with golden eyes. "What is this?" she muttered as she read it:

_This unnamed cat has been sighted many times in recent years._

_ While no one was every been able to capture it, it always seems to turns_

_ up to watch important events unfold. Despite the best efforts of Aurors,_

_ only one has even gotten close to it and reported that the cat spoke to_

_ him before disappearing. It is said to be one of the strangest mysteries_

_ of the twentieth century and there questions whether it is just a cat or_

_ an Animagus who has achieved the theoretical final stage of Animagi._

"How can a cat get its own card?"

"It must be a new one," Chad responded. "Abuelo collects these and I haven't seen this one before."

"They started a new series recently," came a voice from the door. The three turned towards the newcomer, Tatsuki snarling at the intruder.

"You," she said.

"I'd like a minute Kurosaki," Uryuu said, ignoring the others as he directed his gaze towards Ichigo.

"What is it Ishida?" Ichigo responded, his voice hard. "I didn't think we would have much to talk about after Ollivanders."

"In private if you don't mind. Outsiders don't have a right to know." With that, Uryuu stepped away from the door and waited outside.

"Outsiders?" Tatsuki said turning to Ichigo. "What's he talking about?"

"Probably nothing Tatsuki," Ichigo said absently to her as he stood up. "I'll be right back. Don't worry about me."

Tatsuki was about to protest when Ichigo strode straight out and closed the door behind him. Tatsuki reached for the door to go after him only to find Chad's hand raised in front of her, stopping her.

"If he wanted us to know, he would have made him talk in here," said Chad as he stared towards the door. "I won't betray his trust, even if I just met him recently."

"Fine," muttered Tatsuki as she sat back down. "He better not be keeping something big from me again though."

* * *

"So what did you want Ishida?"

"I thought it was only fair to give you a warning,"said Uryuu as he looked up out of his glasses towards the approaching boy.

"What warning would I need?" said a puzzled Ichigo. "I doubt anything bad could be at Hogwarts."

"This isn't a warning about Wizards Soul Reaper."

In a second, Ichigo had grabbed Uryuu by his shirt, holding him up. "First of all, how do you know that? Second, are you threatening me? I don't take kindly to threats."

"Do you even know who you are talking to," said Uryuu arrogantly. "If a normal Witch or Wizard discovered what you are, they would back away in fear, regardless of your age. I'm something far superior to you pathetic Soul Reapers. You couldn't even detect my presence while I could track you as easily as breathing. And trust me, the stench of a Soul Reaper is very easy to notice."

"I don't know what the hell you are talking about," said Ichigo angrily.

"You wouldn't would you Kurosaki. Just watch this year. I swear on the pride of the Quincy. I will show you your place.

"Now what's going on here?" Both boys turned towards the voice to see a dark haired boy their age watching them with a smile. "Already in another fight Ichigo? What would Uncle Sosuke say?"

"Hey Kugo," said Ichigo as he released Uryuu. "You found someone to sit or do you to join us?"

"I'm fine cousin," Kugo replied as he stared at Uryuu. "Want me to get rid of this guy?"

"I was already leaving," said Uryuu as he strode past Kugo, realising he was outnumbered here. "Remember to watch though Kurosaki. If you're not careful, you will be beaten by me before things even begins." With those last words, he retreated back along the carriage, heading back to wherever he had come from.

"Thanks for the help Kugo," said Ichigo as he turned back to his cousin. "Do you know what exactly his deal is?"

"Not sure," Kugo said innocently. "I wouldn't bother anyone about it. He's probably just acting big to scare you. What harm could an eleven year old do anyway?"

"I'll see you later then," said Ichigo as he re-entered his compartment. The moment he was out of sight, Kugo's expression gained a small smirk as he turned towards where the Quincy had gone.  
"How interesting," he muttered quietly. "Uncle Sosuke did tell me to inform him about anything that could be useful. Uryuu Ishida, you will be very helpful for us.

* * *

"So what was that about again?" asked Tatsuki for the third time, determined to find out what Ichigo and Uryuu had discussed.

"For the last time Tatsuki," Ichigo said annoyed. "He just said he was going to beat me this year. Nothing to worry about."

"How is that not something to worry about?" said Tatsuki in outrage. "We haven't fought with magic before. We don't know how it works. How do we fight with it anyway? I don't want all my training in martial arts to be useless in a fight."

"I don't think that it is what he meant," said Chad abruptly. "Is seems likely that Uryuu wants to get the highest grades when he says that he will beat Ichigo.'"

Tatsuki was about to say more when a bushy haired girl practically marched in with a round faced boy.

"Has anyone seen a toad," the new girl said bossily. "Neville here has lost his"

Tatsuki turned her back to the girl almost the moment she entered. She knew a bookworm when she was them and didn't like their attitude towards her. They were always ranting at her for getting into fights and how it was her own fault she got detention. While it normally was, she didn't need people reminding her.

"No, we haven't," said Ichigo as he turned to the two. "I might have seen something further down the train a few minutes ago so I would try there."

"I see. Thank you. You have been much more helpful than other people. Do you lot know what house you want to be in yet? I've been asking a few people for their opinions but so far Gryffindor sounds the best."

"No idea," said Tatsuki bluntly. "Now do you mind?" She gestured towards the door.

"Oh, off course," said the girl like she had been expecting that answer. "We need to keep looking anyway. You lot better change though. We will be arriving soon I believe." With that, the girl led her companion out and went down the train.

Chad turned towards Tatsuki as he spoke. "You could have been a bit kinder."

"Why? I didn't throw her out did I?"

Chad looked towards Ichigo for help only for him to shake his head. "Tatsuki really doesn't like people like her. They're polar opposites."

"I see." Chad wasn't sure if he truly got it but let the matter drop. "See was right though. The train is getting nearer."

Looking out the windows, they could see a shape starting to form in the distance. Not waiting for the boys to say anything, Tatsuki quickly shoved them out while she got changed first, swapping places with them when she was done. The boys finished just in time as the train pulled to a stop, the station right next to them.

"Here we are," said Ichigo as he opened their compartment's door. "Shall we head on out then?"

* * *

And chapter 5 is done. I got a decent amount done here. Chad makes a full appearance now as he joins Ichigo. Uryuu actually gets a bigger role this chapter than last and Kugo turns up. What is he planning though?

Other Harry Potter characters appear now. Hermione Granger appears for the first time and Tatsuki immediately takes a dislike to the girl. Neville also gets a small guest appearance.

What did you guys think of the chocolate frog? I thought it was kind of interesting to create one and I couldn't resist making one for that character. Can you guys guess who the person is? If you can't, you don't read Bleach do you.

Thanks to all who have review so far. It really helps me keep at it. Next chapter we get to see the sorting hat and an event happening outside of Hogwarts in I decide to include it. Probably will. Let me know your thoughts about this chapter. Was it good? Bad? What did you like? What did you hate? Knowing that, I can try to make each chapter better as I go.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	6. Fights and Talking Hats

Chapter 6 is out and is the longest to date. I would have tried cutting it but I looked and couldn't find a good place to. It just wouldn't have fit so I just continued. This was a pain to write at some parts due to having to check details from the book but at least the sorting part was easier since I could write freely.

And it looks like people got who the cat was. Yoruichi. Anyone, on to the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**6 - Fights and Talking Hats**

Ichigo shivered as he took a step off the train, the cold September air seeping into his skin. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spotted a giant of a man walking towards the train.

First years," he called, holding up a lantern. "First years over here."

Checking the others were still with him, Ichigo headed over to the half giant with the other students.

"Is that all of you?" asked the giant man. "Any more first years? Good. I'm Hagrid. Keeper of Keys here at Hogwarts. Follow me."

Leading the group down away from the others, he led them down to a small dock and pointed up at the castle ahead.

"You've got your first sight of Hogwarts here," he said happily. All the students turned to where he was looking and a lot of excited chatting could quickly be heard.

Ichigo stared up at the castle by the others, taking in its beauty. Turrets and towers as far as the eye could see stood upon the cliff, connected to a magnificent castle. Diagon Alley had been impressive with its secrecy and shops but this was on another level. You could literally feel the power radiating off the wards surrounding Hogwarts, showing its strength. Surrounding the cliff was a black lake, in which Chad pointed out that he could swear he saw what looked like a giant squid for a second.

"So this is why this place was called the safest place in Britain," thought Ichigo as he came back to his senses. "Its presence is almost overwhelming." Ichigo wasn't the only one who had these thoughts as similar ideas were flowing through the heads of Kugo and Uryuu.

"No more than four to a boat," called Hagrid as he regained the first years' attention, pointing towards where fleet of rowing boats had stopped. "In you get."

If was this unfortunate situation which found Ichigo, Chad, Tatsuki, and Uryuu being forced to share.

"Surely there is another boat?" asked Uryuu as he looked away from the glaring girl next to him. "Or can someone swap."

"Sorry," said Hagrid roughly, "But these are all the boats. You can wait here for the boats to come back afterwards if you want and grab one then."

Uryuu seemed to consider it for a minute before settling down in the boat with the others, looking away from them with disinterest.

"Forward," shouted Hagrid as soon as he saw that everyone was in the boats. At the command, the boats began moving towards the castle, leaving the dock far behind.

"Like magic," thought Ichigo as he wondered how the boats moved. "Though I suppose things like this are common with magic."

The boats slowly approached the cliff and then passed straight through a cover of ivy, hiding the entrance from view. Even though he had just seen the entrance, Ichigo was having trouble remembering where it was.

"It's the wards," Uryuu said to him interrupting his thoughts. "They make you forget the entrance's location even if you saw it a second ago. It's common knowledge idiot."

"What did you say?" Ichigo said angrily as he turned to Uryuu only to find him already going back to ignoring him. The boats couldn't have arrived soon enough as the tension only seemed to grow in the silence of the boat.

As they climbed out, they saw a toad jump out of one of the boats only to be caught by Hagrid.

"Is this toad anyone's?" he asked looking around.

"Trevor," Neville said as he reached towards the toad.

Tatsuki seemed to watch in shock as the boy was given the toad. "How in the hell did that toad get from the train to here without him finding it?" she asked no one in particular. She got no answer from the others as they were wondering similar things.

Looking up to the castle doors nearby, Hagrid led the group up and knocked a few times on the door. They weren't waiting long as a minute later Professor McGonagall was opening the door to welcome them.

"Thank you Hagrid," she said as she turned to look at the half giant. "I can take it from here."

"Thank you Professor," he said as he walked off into the grounds.

Professor McGonagall directed her attention towards the new students and led them through Hogwarts, passing things that dazzled the first years. Enchanted portraits, moving staircases, even the suits of armour seemed to turn and watch them as they passed. Finally arriving at a pair of giant doors, Professor McGonagall turned back to them and spoke.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she began. "Soon, the start of term feast will begin but before this, you must take part in a ceremony as old as Hogwarts itself. The sorting ceremony. During this, your house will be decided for you for your next seven years here. Your house will be your family. While you will have classes with students of other houses as well as your own, you house will be what you represent in lessons and such. You earn points for your house as well as lose them; you sleep in your house dormitories, and can spend your free time in your house's common room. There will be many opportunities for you to represent your house, including Quidditch which most of the school loves."

The students watching their professor could tell that she was one of the most obsessed with the sport if the glint in her eyes was anything to go by.

"Unfortunately," she continued, "first years aren't allowed on the house teams so you will have to wait for next year. Now, the houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each of these four houses has its own history behind it and each has produced respected and powerful Witches and Wizards. At the end of each year, the house cup is awarded to the winning house in terms of house points. I hope that you will all be a credit to the house you are about to join."

Professor McGonagall turned to the doors as she finished her speech. "I will see if they are ready for us yet. Please wait here for a minute." With that, she opened the doors and closed them behind her, leaving the students in silence.

All was quiet for a second until a pompous voice was heard.

"They say Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," the blond haired boy said as he strode towards another boy, this one with black hair. He was followed by two brutes of boys, both trying to look as intimidating as possible. "My name's Draco Malfoy and these two are Crabbe and Goyle.

The red head near the black haired boy coughed slightly but Ichigo could swear he could hear a laugh being disguised by it. Apparently, Malfoy could too.

"I don't need to know who you are," he sneered in disgust. "Hand me down robes and that awful red hair, there's no doubt. You're another of those Weasleys aren't you. And here I though they already had enough children but I guess when you are that poor, what is another mouth or two."

Malfoy turned back to the black haired boy without waiting for a response. "Some Magical families are better than others. I can help you learn which are which." With this, he stuck out a hand and waited for the boy to shake it.

The boy however, who Ichigo figured must be this Harry person, refused to shake the other boy's hand. "I think I already know how to tell the difference," he said coolly.

"You had better be careful Potter," Malfoy said as he tried to avoid getting angry. "You don't want to hang around with the riff-raff and stupid half breeds. The same fate your parents suffered might come back and get you two. Next thing you know, you will be consorting with muggleborns."

Harry and the red head were about to respond when a girl spoke, Ichigo sighing as she did. This wasn't going to end well.

"What's wrong with muggleborns," Tatsuki said as she stared at Malfoy, her fists clenching slightly.

"What isn't wrong with them," Malfoy said to her, oblivious to the current danger. "They're pathetic. Dirty blooded Witches and Wizards. They shouldn't even be allowed in an establishment like this. Why if I had my way…"

No one would find out what he was going to say as a fist collided with his face. Draco looked up from the ground at Tatsuki, clutching his jaw.

"How dare you," he said in outrage. "Crabbe. Goyle. Show this lady some manners."

On his orders, the two moved towards Tatsuki before finding an orange haired boy standing in their way.

"This has to be a record Tatsuki," Ichigo spoke as he dodged their attacks. "We haven't even been sorted in this school so I doubt this is even the first day." With a sudden kick, he knocked the two back before slamming his fists into their faces, sending them onto the floor. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall arrived back at this very moment.

She looked at the sight for a second, taking in what she was seeing. An orange haired boy stood over two ape like boys while a tomboyish girl was glaring at the boy at her feet, her fist clenched back slightly. Naturally, she reacted as she would normally.

"What do the two of you think you are doing," she demanded loudly as she marched towards Ichigo and Tatsuki. "Why I'd never… Detention. And one hundred points off…" She paused, realising that they hadn't even been sorted yet. "Whatever house you join," she finished. "Never has a student gained a detention before they have even technically become one. I hope you two are proud of yourselves. Now line up all of you."

Not wanting to risk the professor's wraith, the students all piled into a line behind Ichigo and Tatsuki, using them as a barrier between her and themselves. Ichigo looked towards a guilty looking Tatsuki who gave him an apologetic look and mouthed sorry towards him. Ichigo just sighed and accepted it. It was bound to have happened sooner or later.

As the first years ended the hall, they were amazed by its splendour. A thousand candles stood suspended in the air, all lit throughout the room. The room was massive with the ceiling not even being able to be seen. In seemed to have been replaced with the night sky, stars dazzling in the image above them. It was captivating.

Around the room, students sat at four great tables, all separated by their houses. Some had patches of red, others yellow, others green, and others blue. At the head of the room was a long table where the staff seemed to sit. At their head was him. The man who had defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald and been on par with the Dark Lord Voldemort. The man who stood as a beacon of light to muggleborns and half bloods everywhere. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts.

* * *

A four legged stool sat in front of the first years, an old pointed hat resting on it. It was silent for a second before a mouth seemed to open and began to sing:

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and Chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuff are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you're a read mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

"_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The instant the hat finished singing, the hall burst into applause, Ichigo and Tatsuki just staring blankly at the hat.

"That hat just talked," Ichigo muttered.

"Nice observation Sherlock," Tatsuki muttered back.

"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall said as the hall quieted down," You must sit on the stool and place the hat on your head. Abbott, Hannah."

A girl with blond pigtails quickly pushed past Ichigo and Tatsuki as she stumbled over to the stool and sat down. Ichigo turned to Tatsuki as Professor McGonagall lowered the hat onto the Abbott girl's head.

"Which house are we aiming for," Ichigo whispered to her as the Hat shouted Hufflepuff.

"I don't know," replied Tatsuki quickly. "Try and get into mine okay."

Ichigo couldn't say more as Professor McGonagall went onto the second name.

"Arisawa, Tatsuki."

Tatsuki walked to the stool confidently and sat down, waiting for the hat to be lowered. She almost jumped off though when she heard a voice start to talk in her head.

"Let's see," the Sorting Hat muttered as he looked through her mind. "A decent mind but no desire to learn for the sake of learning. Ambition definitely but not only are you muggleborn, you're not cunning enough for Slytherin. Gryffindor maybe? You have the courage most definitely. Ah, but wait. What's this?"

Tatsuki froze as the hat found a memory of two years ago. The memory of when she had found Ichigo after his mother had died.

"I see." The hat said after a while. "Loyalty. You're someone who is too honest with her feelings and emotions and wouldn't even dare consider betraying someone you consider a friend for even a second, not matter the consequences. And most of all, you would never give up on them. Not only that, you knew that your friend would have your back without even asking and I can see that it goes both ways. Helga would like you."

The hat thought one final time before deciding. "Yes, you're a tough one. A true Gryffindor let at the same time, a true Hufflepuff. You could go anyway but I know where you belong. Better be HUFFLEPUFF!"

Tatsuki felt the hat being removed from her and quickly stood up and made her way to the cheering table, leaving some space for Ichigo if he got in.

Ichigo toned out most of the people as they went. A Boot boy got into Ravenclaw and a girl called Millicent was the first Slytherin. The Granger girl was a Gryffindor while Kugo became a Slytherin. He had been there for a few minutes before the hat finally decided and then it was Uryuu's turn.

"Ishida, Uryuu."

Uryuu went over and placed the hat down on his head, hearing the voice instantly.

"A Quincy," the hat said. "Why this is a surprise. I don't get many of you lot. The last one I sorted must have been your father."

"Hurry up," Uryuu thought as he sat there on the stool.

"Fine then, let me have a look. Quite chivalrous aren't you. You have a strong moral code don't you. You would even prefer to incapacitate your enemy rather than kill him. Now that's different from a lot of the other Quincy. You are similar to your grandfather in that regard. But no, not Gryffindor."

The hat paused for a second to consider something before continuing.

"You want power but you prefer knowledge. You wouldn't suit Slytherin and Hufflepuff wouldn't want someone who falls to the views of others so easily like that and acts like he is above others. Ravenclaw is the best for you. Maybe it will help you think for yourself more."

"Wait," said Uryuu suddenly. "What do you mean?"

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted, ignoring Uryuu's attempts at communication. Getting up, Uryuu walked over to the Ravenclaw table where one of the prefects welcomed him. He turned back to watch and didn't have to wait very long to see what he wanted to.

"Kurosaki, Ichigo."

* * *

Ichigo walked up to the stool like all the others and placed it on his head. At that instance, he worked out why Kugo had taken so long.

Instead of looking at the great hall, Ichigo found himself lying on a skyscraper, the world tipped sideways.

"Where am I?" asked Ichigo, not expecting an answer.

"You're in your mind and I have to say, this is completely different compared to that other Soul Reaper," a voice said from behind him.

Ichigo spun round to face a young looking man wearing a large brown overcoat and a white buttoned up shirt beneath it. His trousers and shoes were both old fashion styles and were a matching brown while on the man's head, the Sorting Hat rested, hiding the man's face from view.

"Who are you?" asked Ichigo cautiously. He doubted this had happened to everyone but there was no guarantee that this wasn't the hat's doing.

"Relax," said the man, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm the Sorting Hat."

Ichigo relaxed slightly but kept an eye on the hat. "Have you got a name I can call you?"

"I'm the Sorting Hat."  
"I mean a real name. Not a title."

The Sorting Hat actually laughed at his words. "You know, no one ever asks if I truly have a name anymore. I had one but I don't remember it. I couldn't even answer someone if they asked. They all believe Godric created me but I was far more than that. I was born with him but I was never given the chance to die with him. His legacy lives on though, and with it, me."

"Wait," said Ichigo. "You're a part of Godric Gryffindor?"

"I guess you could say that. Now let's have a look in this mind…"

The Sorting Hat's voice stopped as he felt a blade by the back of his neck.

"What are you doing here?" said the newcomer. The person in question was a middle aged man with ragged black hair with hints of brown in it. His skin was pale with a fair amount of stubble and he was cloaked in a tattered white shirt, black pants and a large black overcoat over his body. A pair of sunglasses rested on his nose, hiding his eyes behind them.

"So you are this boy's guardian," said the Sorting Hat curiously. "The other's guardian was completely different than you, black clothed man."

"Who are you," asked Ichigo, his fists raised slightly. If he needed to defend himself, he wouldn't hesitate.

"Who am I?" asked the black clothed man. "I am…"

"What did you say?" said Ichigo. "I didn't catch that last part."

"I see," said the black clothed man. "So you aren't able to hear me yet. I suppose it is only natural. This is only the first time you have met me. I wonder how long I will have to wait for my voice to reach you."

"I don't mean to interrupt," the Sorting Hat spoke abruptly, "But I still have people to sort and you have been sitting on that stool for a few minutes now. Best get looking through your memories and decide where you belong."

The blade in the black clothed man pressed further against the Sorting Hat. "If you do anything you aren't suppose to…"

"I know," responded the Sorting Hat. "That other guardian already gave me a big lecture about the consequences of me drifting off into things I shouldn't see so I already know the drill. Let me have a look quickly."

The Sorting Hat was quiet for a few minutes as he looked through Ichigo's memories. A few times, it seemed like he had decided something before he suddenly changed his mind. Finally he spoke again.

"Not Slytherin. You seek power and have ambition but that place would clash with your ideals. You don't seek power for yourself but to protect others. You don't love knowledge like Ravenclaw and your mind isn't right for them either. Gryffindor has its merits. You have courage some would dream of possessing but it isn't courage that makes you move forward and fight, no."

The Sorting hat seemed to be happier as he spoke, like he had finally solved an interesting challenge. "There is no doubt where you belong. You're loyalty to your friends and family is outstanding. You would charge in like a Gryffindor with no regard for your own safety if they were threatened and your very character inspires the amount of loyalty you have yourself. You belong there, with no doubt. Good luck in HUFFLEPUFF!"

With that final word being shouted, Ichigo found himself in the great hall again, a roar of applause coming from Hufflepuff. It seems after he had been there for a few minutes, some people had actually started betting since money could be seen exchanging hands.  
Ichigo strode over to where Tatsuki was waving at him from and sat down next to her.

"Took you long enough," she said with a smile. "You weren't going to leave me on my own now were you?"

"Not a change Tatsuki," Ichigo responded just as enthusiastically. They both turned back to the sorting to see a Neville Longbottom end up in Gryffindor and a Draco Malfoy end up in Slytherin. Then it reached the one the hall had been waiting for.

"Potter, Harry."

Ichigo watched as the boy walked up nervously and sat down on the stool, the hat being deposited on his head. As the hat seemed to be taking it's time, Ichigo turned to one his new housemates.

"What's the deal with him?" Ichigo asked quietly. "Why is everyone so shocked to meet him?"

"You don't know?" the student replied. "He's the Boy Who Lived. The one who killed You Know Who."

"So that's why," thought Ichigo as he turned back towards Harry. "He doesn't look so tough. I wonder how he did it."

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted, causing the biggest applause so far. A pair of red head twins were even singing a chant in excitement.

It was Chad's turn next however the hat did something very peculiar that surprised everyone, even the teachers. When it had been Malfoy's turn, the hat had barely reached his head when it screamed Slytherin. For Chad though, it called Hufflepuff before he even got close.

"What?" asked the Sorting Hat as everyone turned to look at him. "It was so obvious from back here that I don't even need to look any further. His very presence screams what Hufflepuff represents."

Chad didn't waste any time joining Ichigo and Tatsuki where they were sitting. Shaking her head slightly, Professor McGonagall turned back to the list and moved onto the next name. "Tsukishima, Shukuro."

The boy was considered for a few moments before becoming a Slytherin, sitting down next to a welcoming Kugo. The Weasley became a Gryffindor and last one to be sorted was a Blaise Zabini who ended up in Slytherin. With that, Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment she had been reading from and took the stool and hat into a room off from the hall. She returned to her seat next to the headmaster just as he began to stand. Staring around the room, the headmaster held out his arms wide, a large smile on his face.

"Welcome back," he said joyfully. "Welcome back all of you. And Welcome to our new students here at Hogwarts. It is time for another wonderful year at Hogwarts and I hope you will enjoy it just as much as the last. Now for a few words before the feast. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

There was a round of applause as Dumbledore sat down while the first years all seemed to be debating whether their headmaster was trying to make them laugh or was just plain mad.

"Mad?" replied a prefect near Ichigo. "He is brilliant. I haven't met a Wizard greater than him yet. But mad? Definitely. Aren't the best?"

Tatsuki nudged him slightly as the food appeared, shocking him on how it just appeared. He quickly joined the others as they filled their plates with food and dug in. They were half way through eating when a ghost shot out of the table.

"Hello new Hufflepuffs," he exclaimed happily. "Good to see you in my old house."

Chad looked up at the ghost impressively until he noticed Ichigo and Tatsuki hadn't even blinked an eyelash at it.

"You are seeing the ghost aren't you," he asked seriously. "I'm not just seeing things."

"It's there," muttered Ichigo. "I'm just ignoring it and hoping it goes away before it asks for any annoying favours."

Chad looked at Ichigo confusedly until Tatsuki explained quietly to him.

"Seeing ghosts isn't anything new for us. I've been able to see them not long after meeting Ichigo and he has always been able to see them."

Chad simply nodded his head at the response. It was unheard of to see ghosts normally except in places like Hogwarts but when magic was involved, anything could happen. He turned to the headmaster's table to examine the teachers as he finished eating. There were a few strange ones among them, a few being a tiny little man who was sitting on a much higher chair than the others and a nervous looking man with a turban who seemed to be jumping at the smallest sound. Looking at where Professor McGonagall sat, he saw her talking to squat little witch with short grey hair. Professor McGonagall seemed to point towards where he was roughly. Or more accurately where Ichigo and Tatsuki were sitting. The witch seemed to follow the professor's gaze before hitting her head on the table causing the professor to turn back to the witch.

"That's our head of house," said a voice across from him. Chad looked over to see dark haired boy looking at him. "That's our head, Pomona Sprout. She teaches Herbology here and is one of the nicest teachers in Hogwarts. You're lucky to be in Hufflepuff. Cedric Diggory by the way. Third year."

"Chad."

"Nice to meet you. I wonder why she seems so upset." Cedric would have said more but it was at that moment when all the food vanished and Dumbledore took to his feet again. As he stood, the noise slowly quieted till the hall was silent.

"I have just a few words to say before you all head off to bed. The normal start of term messages and such. As usual, the forbidden forest is forbidden. The first years should remember this and I pray that the older students will remember this as well but there are always exceptions."

Dumbledore's eyes flicked over to the red head twins before turning back to the rest of the hall.

"Mr Filch has asked me to remind students that magic is not permitted in the hallways between classes. Quidditch trials are in the second week of term for students and I would send your name to your team's captain so that they can set up the event."

His eyes suddenly grew serious as he looked around the room.

"Finally, the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not want to die a most painful death. I ask you to all take this warning seriously. Leniency will not be shown to those who find their way there without reason."

"And now," Dumbledore say as he switched back to a more joyful voice, "Let us sing the school song before we all head off to bed." With a flick of his wand, the words stood above him, made from golden ribbons. "In your own time. One. Two. Three." At three, voices started to sing:

_Hogwarts, Hogwarts,_

_Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts_

_Teach us something, please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot._

As Dumbledore conducted the last notes for the red haired twins with their funeral match, he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Ah. Music. One of the greatest magic of all. Not off to bed all of you. We will see you back here bright and early. Off you trot."

The Hufflepuff prefects stood up from the table and walked over to the first years, collecting them all up, before leading them through the school, heading down staircases till they reached a corridor which the prefects explained as being where the kitchens were located.

The lead prefect walked over to the barrels nearby and spoke up. "Remember this sequence or you will find yourself locked out and doused in vinegar." Some of the first years started laughing until they realised that he was dead serious. The prefect quickly tapped the barrel that was two from the bottom and in the middle of the second row. As he tapped the barrel, they could slightly hear it sounding like Helga Hufflepuff.

As the final note was hit, the wall behind the barrels opened up and the prefects led the students in. They found themselves in a plain room with some sofas near a fire place and some staircases leading up.

"Welcome to the Hufflepuff dorm," the prefect said as he turned to the first years. "Isn't it great how easy it is to get in. The older years know exactly where we are and how to get in." At this, the prefect smiled widely. "Meaning they don't look any further."

One of the other prefects looked at a portrait nearby and spoke a phrase to it. "Protect the loyal from those who would do them harm."

On that command, the portrait swung backwards and revealed a staircase down. The prefects lead the students down and closed the doorway, pointing out the hole to look through to check for people hiding in wait. When they finally reached the bottom of the staircase, they were welcomed by Professor Sprout in the real Hufflepuff common room.

The room above was nothing compared to this one. There were all kinds of plants nearby, contrasting with the black and yellow of the dorm. Sofas and armchairs were placed all over the room around tables with lights up above them. A fireplace stood to one side under the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, a mantelpiece with badgers carved into it resting on it. Circular wooden doors stood all over the room, leading off in main directions. The prefects quickly pointed out the ones that led to each dormitory and the ones that acted as shortcuts over the school.

"Welcome," said Professor Sprout as she faced the new first years. "It's great to see so many of you in this noble house. I expect you all to be shining examples of loyalty here. I don't tolerate bullying of any sort and will crack down harshly on those who take part in such things. You will get your timetables in the morning at breakfast so I will see you all again then. Off to bed."

The students turned off to the dormitories and headed off while Ichigo and Tatsuki were stopped by Professor Sprout. The professor shook her head as she looked at them, not sure on what to say.

"The headmaster has managed to stop McGonagall from docking those points," she said as she finally found the words she was looking for. "Two hundred points was far too harsh and managed to let her settle with the detentions. You will be spending the next few evenings with her after your lessons are over for the week. Try not to get into any more fights if you can."

The two nodded while apologising for their actions before saying farewell as they went separate ways into the dormitories. Ichigo walked down the corridor and found the first year room already packed with the others. The room contained many four poster beds and was light by copper lamps with copper bed warmers hanging on the wall.

Ichigo quickly moved over to the bed Chad had saved for him, finding his trunk waiting for him. The boys around him quickly introduced themselves as they changed. From the start, Ichigo could tell he wouldn't get on with Zacharias but Justin and Ernest seemed decent enough.

He climbed into bed and closed the curtains, about to go to sleep when he remembered his dad had given him something early. Ichigo found it easily enough in his robes and turned to examine it before removing the cloth. As he took away the cloth, a wooden object fell into his lap for him to see. Ichigo picked it up before setting it aside in his trunk, hidden from sight. He could figure out the wooden badge in the morning and what the matter with the cross and skull on it was all about. With that, he drifted off to sleep, unaware that someone in Hogwarts was sneaking out and heading for the Owlery, a letter in their hands.

* * *

And done. I knew where they were going from the start but it was fun to actually write it. I didn't want Ichigo going to Gryffindor. Lots of others do it and, while each author makes it work, to me Ichigo never was a true Gryffindor. He shows traits of them but why does he fight? Why does he seek power? It's never because it's the right thing and it's not because he graves power. He just desires the ability to protect those near him.

What did you think of the sorting anyway? The Sorting Hat was fun to write and I have a little plan with him. Nothing big really but a bit of a past for him. He's similar to a Zanpakuto isn't he but how can that be? Soul Reapers didn't exist in Britain when Hogwarts was founded so what was he? Guess you will have to wait and find out.

Anyway, next chapter has the scene I talked about last chapter with a guest appearance of a particular character. We also get onto classes too. I wonder how long it will take Ichigo and Tatsuki to get in trouble again? And will Chad get pulled into it too? I kind of feel sorry for him.

The badge I'm sure you recognise. Just to cover a few bases now, it is not going to be a device for monitoring him and possible killing him like in the manga. His father gave it to him after all.

This chapter is a bit longer since you lot won't get another till about Friday/Saturday time minimum. I have to visit a university so there's no helping it. I hope this will appease you guys till then. I take three to four days anyway normally to release a chapter anyway.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	7. Classes and Mysteries

Chapter 7 is here like promised. I'm back from my trip so I can write again. Had to be quick with this chapter so I'm glad I had some of it prepared ready for my return. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**7 - Classes and Mysteries**

Knockturn Alley has many visitors that prefer to stay anomalous. In a place filled with those deemed too dark to be seen by the light, no one questioned why people came and left, only knowing that what they needed was to remain secret from the majority of the world. So when a hooded man entered the Alley, no one even batted any eyelid at his appearance or at the time.

The man moved through Knockturn Alley silently, navigating the streets with easy and avoiding the undesirables that would slow him down. They wouldn't have been able to harm him but he couldn't risk alerting anyone and causing trouble. She wouldn't forgive him easily if he did.

Turning a corner, he finally saw his destination. The shop was run down slightly like most of the places in Knockturn Alley, the windows left dusty to ward off people who wished to spy on the customers. A sign above the door hung saying 'Black Cat Goods'.

The man slowly opened the door before slipping inside, ensuring no one was following him before doing so. Closing the door behind him, his eyes adjusted to the shop's interior. Shelves were slightly bare but contained crucial things that people needed. Some rare potions ingredients here, an unobtainable tome there. This shop was well known for gathering things said to be lost or impossible to get. It wasn't these that the man was looking for though.

"Are you here Yoruichi?" the man asked, pulling the hood of his cloak down to reveal his blond messy hair. He pulled a bucket hat out of his pocket and placed it on his head as he waited. As he did so, he felt a wand placed against his back.

"What was the name of my pupil before she changed it," a voice said from behind Kisuke.

"Shaolin Fon," Kisuke answered. "She later took on the name of her grandmother to become stronger."

"Had to check," said Yoruichi as she pulled the wand from his back. "Good to see you again Kisuke."

"Not bothering to check that it's really me? I could have been tortured for the information and then replaced."

"Please," Yoruichi said as she moved to the shop's counter. "No one gets in this shop without me knowing. Only you have the technology to design those cloaks and you wouldn't have allowed it to be stolen in the first place. That and the hat. Even under polyjuice, I doubt anyone but you would wear that hat."

Kisuke smiled as he walked towards her. "You know me too well."

"Yes, I do," she said with a smirk. "So what do you want? You only come here when you want something. That's the kind of guy you are."

"Very well then," said Kisuke as he turned serious. "On to business. What happened with the goblins?"

"You don't know? Then again, you did only arrive back in the Wizarding World vey recently. First of August was it?"

Yoruichi smirked at the look on Kisuke's face. "Relax. Very few people know that and I'm the only one out of them who you didn't meet. You shouldn't doubt my skill at gathering information. Now the goblins…"

She paused while she remembered the details, crossing her legs on the desk as she sat down to think.

"Someone broke in," she finally said, breaking the silence that had developed.

"How?" Kisuke demanded.

"Don't ask me," replied Yoruichi. "I never even thought it was possible. Unless of course you count going in at full strength with a squad of extremely powerful Soul Reapers. Even I couldn't do what this person did and you know what they call me."

"The Goddess Of Flash."

"Exactly."

"I see," muttered Kisuke, moving a hand to scratch his head as he processed the information. "So someone broke in and I'm assuming that they also broke out. Breaking in wouldn't have set them off like this."

"Yeah. I saw the new security they've installed. I even heard that they sent some goblins off to obtain some more dragons. I don't want to know which vaults they'll be guarding."

"So what did they steal?"

Yoruichi hesitated for a second causing Kisuke to frown. "Yoruichi?"

"Nothing," she said. "They stole nothing."

"They can't have," argued Kisuke. "You don't break into Gringotts and leave empty handed. It's too dangerous to even be considered unless the reward is substantial enough."

"Don't get me wrong," Yoruichi said as she interrupted his rant. "They would have stolen something for certain but the item in question wasn't there."

"A trap?" Kisuke asked, his mind creating multiple scenarios as he asked. Could someone have known about the thief's attempt before hand and moved the target before it could be stolen.

A shake of the head from Yoruichi dispelled these thoughts quickly though. "Unlikely. I think it was just luck. There was only one item in the vault and it was moved right before the break in. If they knew about it, they would have laid a trap with the goblins."

"But what were they after?" muttered Kisuke as he started pacing. "Do we have anything on who the vault belonged to?"

"No but I can get that. All I'm waiting on is the vault number. I can guarantee that they will make a statement soon enough and the moment they do, I know what file to look for."

"Do what you can but be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

Kisuke sighed slightly before he noticed something. "Where's Tessai?"

"Out," said Yoruichi simply. "He had a few errands to run and some items to collect. I've got him following some other leads while he's out, seeing if he can find anything in other areas. I can't afford to leave here now in case something big happens."

"Give him a message when he gets back."

This peaked Yoruichi's interest. "Which is?"

"I need the old place moved. Can he do it?"

"I'll pass it on," said a grinning Yoruichi, aware of what Kisuke was talking about. "He shouldn't have any problems doing it."

"Good," Kisuke said as he turned to the door. "Keep me posted."

"I always do."

* * *

The first thing Tatsuki said when Chad and Ichigo joined her for breakfast was "What's up with your face Chad?"

Ichigo looked away as Chad gave him a glare before turning towards Tatsuki. "I went to wake Ichigo up. He attacked me in his sleep."

"Ah," said Tatsuki, trying to suppress her laughter. "He'll do that. I think it's a defence mechanism he developed after all those years of living with his dad."

"His dad attacks him?" asked Chad, his eyes wide in shock.

"Not in the way you're thinking," reassured Tatsuki, noticing his expression. "His dad has some weird ways of showing his love. He acts like an imbecile sometimes and will surprise attack Ichigo when he least expects it as a way of making Ichigo stronger."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"I don't either," Ichigo said as he grabbed some food. "He's always been a weird one. Me and my sisters just ignore him most of the time."

A few minutes later, Professor Sprout arrived with their timetables before they had to head off to classes. The process of getting to them seemed to cause the most problems. It didn't help that the staircases moved. Half the time, the three of them would reach the staircase only to find it has moved at the last second and taken them away from their destination. It was lucky that most of the teachers were quite lenient on them as first years of they would have gotten into even more trouble.

The classes themselves were comprised of students from all houses. When asked about the system, they were simply told that the best way to promote house unity was to share classes together. It used to be only two houses that shared those lessons but things had changed when the war ended to try and prevent another dark lord. As for the teachers, they had been surprised with how different they taught their lessons, even if the classes were different subjects.

Professor McGonagall had been a quite fair teacher. She didn't accept any misbehaving in her class from the very start, announcing that those who would do so would find themselves out of the lesson as Transfiguration was some of the most complex magic out there. As she said this though, Ichigo could swear that she had glanced at him and Tatsuki.

Her lessons seemed to consider of firstly looked at the theory in great depth before then applying the theory to an object itself. The first lesson seemed to be all about turning a matchstick into a needle, which very few people managed to get down. One of these was the bushy haired girl from the train who was quite annoyed at the fact that Ichigo and Tatsuki had gotten it much quicker than her. Professor McGonagall had actually paused at their desk in shock, her mind seemed to be trying to connect the image of the two of them being bright students with the image of them fighting other first years.

Charms however was taught by Professor Flitwick who was so short that he had books piled up to reach his desk. His lessons always seemed much more upbeat with his cheerful way of making even the most boring of charms fun. For early charms it seemed, a lot more emphasis was put on learning the wand movements and then practicing the spell with less on taking notes on the theories. Once again, Ichigo quickly got the spell they were taught, followed shortly after by an annoyed Uryuu.

Their head of house, Professor Sprout took Herbology. Unlike most classes that took place in the classroom, her lessons seemed to always take place in the greenhouses. One side of them seemed to contain tables for when she quickly instructed them at while the other half was filled with plants for the practical lessons. Lessons which seemed to be almost every time they had Herbology. Chad immediately gained a knack for the class and would normally help assist Ichigo and Tatsuki with their work after he finished. Professor Sprout seemed to always call upon either him or the Neville boy from the train to demonstrate when she needed volunteers.

Defence Against the Dark Arts though was significantly worse. Taught by Professor Quirrell, the lessons always seemed to be hard to comprehend. It wasn't that the work was hard. It was fairly manageable, especially when the library had the extra information they needed. No, it was the Professor himself. He was always stuttering. It was so bad that sometimes, they couldn't even work out what he was saying. And the smell didn't help. The entire classroom was filled with the stench of garlic, meant to ward of a vampire that he had met in Romania.

Professor Binns wasn't any better. He was the most boring teacher that existed. Even great battles of history were dull because of how he spoke about it. They would ask him to speak more lively but there was one single problem with that. He was dead. They weren't even sure if he knew himself and the rumours said how he died in his sleep, got up the next morning and went to teach. The class must have been quite surprised that day, though why he still taught and hadn't been replaced, no one knows. History of Magic slowly degraded into a time to catch up on any sleep you missed. Ichigo swore though that he would find a way to replace their professor. Anyone would be better than Binns.

Astronomy was taught by Professor Sinistra and always took place at night. They would simply stare up at the stars and learn about the movements and names of the stars and planets they could see. Potions meanwhile was the strangest lesson they had even had. Their teacher, Professor Snape, was completely prejudice against all Gryffindors and favoured Slytherin massively. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were ignored but that was far better than suffering his wraith. Ichigo still remembered the first lesson quite clearly. From the very start of the lesson, he had taken an instant dislike to Harry Potter, asking him questions that Ichigo was sure that they shouldn't know at this point in the year. This didn't stop the Granger girl from knowing but that was beside the point. He would then give them instructions and set them working in pairs, criticising all their work as he passed except for Malfoy's. Ichigo practically wanted to punch the man for half of the lesson. Neville unfortunately caught the Professor's attention when his cauldron melted, the entire class jumping onto the desks and chairs for cover. After Neville was sent to the hospital wing, his attention turned back to Harry, blaming him for Neville's mistake. The three Hufflepuffs had never been so glad to get out of a lesson as they had at the end. Even Uryuu nearby seemed relieved to be free.

Of course, throughout the week, Ichigo and Tatsuki still had their detentions to go to. Somehow though, they had impressed the red haired twins though when they had arrived.

"I'm Fred," Introduced one of the twins.

"And I'm George," said the other.

"Or am I George?" said the first.

"So that makes me Fred?"

"I'm not actually sure myself here. Maybe we'll both Fred and neither one of us is George."

"I agree brother of mine. Now what are two little first years doing here? In trouble already?"

"We got in a fight with some Slytherins," answered Ichigo. "Professor McGonagall came in at the wrong moment."

"When was this? Your first class?"

"Before we were sorted," said Tatsuki, Fred and George's faces dropping in shock.

"Before you were…" stuttered Fred before he regained his composure. "George. I think we have been outdone."

"I agree Fred. I feel like a challenge has been issued. We can't afford to be beaten here."

While Ichigo and Tatsuki looked amused at the twins' antics, Professor McGonagall seemed to be terrified slightly. The two were already reminding her of four pranksters she used to teach but now? They might become even worse to deal with. Hilarious yes. But worse.

Finally though, it got to the day of the first flying lesson, something that had excited them all.

"What do you think it's going to be like?" asked Tatsuki as she questioned Chad once again.

Chad sighed slightly but indulged her. "It should be very fun. My Abuelo took me flying a few times and it was always a great experience."

"Why is it on brooms anyway?" asked Ichigo.

"I don't know," was the response. "There used to be flying carpets but they were banned a long time ago."

"Isn't there any way to fly without a broom? It seems restrictive slightly."

Chad simply shrugged. "No one has ever found a way that I know of. Maybe eventually we will be able to." Chad would have said more but he was interrupted by the screeches of owls as they arrived with the morning mail. Some carried Daily Prophets to people, others carried family mail. One of these types was to Chad as he got a letter from his Abuelo, asking him how he was settling in.

What surprised Ichigo was the owl that landed in front of him.

"Did you order something Ichigo?" asked Tatsuki, staring at the owl in confusion. She couldn't remember ever seeing this owl at his house and theirs looked different to this one.

"No," said Ichigo in confusion, the owl nudging him slightly to take the parcel it had with it. The moment Ichigo removed it, the owl fly off out of the great hall, heading back from wherever it had come from.

"I leave this in your possession," said Ichigo as he read the tag on the parcel. "She would have wanted you to have it."

Looking down at the small brown parcel, Ichigo slowly unwrapped it, his breath catching as he saw what was inside.

"What is it…" said Tatsuki, her voice cutting off as she saw it.

Curious, Chad looked over to see what the big deal with it was. In the parcel seemed to be a simple silver metal cross, a black gem in the middle where the two lines of the cross met. "That's nice."

Ichigo looked down at the cross before grabbing it and fleeing the hall, his meal left scattered on his plate. Chad watched his retreating friend and made to go after him when Tatsuki spoke softly to him.

"Don't."

"But…"

"We can't help him," said Tatsuki, her voice quiet as she spoke. "That cross belonged to his mother."

"I don't understand," said Chad simply. "Why is that so bad?"

"She's dead."

Chad looked speechless at her statement, Tatsuki just nodding her head at him.

"It happened two years ago. All I can really tell you is the kind of person his mother was. Anything else is his choice."

Chad seemed to debate with himself for a minute before signalling for her to begin.

"Ichigo's mother was the most beautiful lady I had even seen. I don't just mean in appearance. Her personality was kinder than anyone else. It didn't matter if they weren't even her kids. She was still kind and helpful to them, never getting mad. And she adored Ichigo and his sisters. She loved them more than anything in the world and the feeling was mutual. She was like the sun that they orbited and then she died. Do you understand what that did to Ichigo? She was everything to him."

Tatsuki clenched her fists as she remembered when she had found Ichigo, trying to remove that image from her brain.

"Do you see? We can't help him here. He needs to deal with it on his own. I'm just wondering who sent that though."

"What do you mean," said Chad, recovering slightly.

Tatsuki glanced towards the door where Ichigo had left for a second before turning back to answer. "That cross has been missing since her death. We all thought it was stolen. So how come it suddenly turns up now?"

Chad just stared at his friend before thinking back to Ichigo, wondering how he was he was coping with such a thing. It was worth more to Ichigo than his medallion was to him from what he could see. Hopefully his friend would be alright.

Ichigo himself had quickly found an isolated classroom and rested against the wall as he collapsed to the ground, his hand clutching the cross so tightly that the edges drew blood. He looked down at it, tears falling from his eyes as he did so.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault that you died."

* * *

And here we go. Not as long as the previous chapter but a fairly decent length. I changed how I wanted the classes slightly. Originally I was going to follow the books in how they split classes but I decided I wanted to change things as a way of Dumbledore trying to unite the school. Each house is split into group A and group B in each year. It's a random selection but they try to keep people you were friendly with together with you. Then all group A members share classes so there is a mix from all houses.

Ichigo seems a bit soft here with the crying about his mother. He may not do that much in the manga but remember that here, his mother only died two years ago so it is still fairly recent compared to the manga. He is also eleven. He is similar to the Ichigo we know but he is still much younger than that Ichigo. Give him time and he will become that guy.

Yeah, this chapter was a bit boring at parts. Not much I could do with it. The first book has the least to work with so most of the book is fillers to key events. Things should be good soon. Next chapter we get to flying. I would have included it here but I felt that it was the right point to end it.

Tell me what you think. I accept all comments and questions, whether they are good or bad.

For future chapters, what do you guys want? A release every 3-4 days at this length roughly or perhaps a longer release time of 5-7 days with a longer word count. I will put a poll on my profile that you can answer on.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	8. Trolls and Brooms

Chapter 8. We finally get to the first fight. And some quick flying too. Enjoy.

Reviews answers that I couldn't message to people:

Will - If you are talking about Ichigo, he will. It won't be for a while though. Uryuu will get his much early than Ichigo.

Luv it its great - I'm afraid I have no plans to add Rukia. She just doesn't fit in the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**8 - Trolls and Brooms**

Ichigo didn't turn up for the first few lessons that day. It was only when the flying lesson was about to begin that Tatsuki finally spotted a familiar batch of orange hair in the crowds.

"Ichigo," she said, calling him over to stand with her and Chad.

"Ah," said Ichigo smiling. "Hey Tatsuki. Hey Chad."

"Are you okay Ichigo?" Chad asked, looking towards his friend.

"Who me? I'm fine." Ichigo gave them a bigger smile to reassure them before turning towards the approaching Teacher.

"You say that," thought Tatsuki as she observed Ichigo, "But that smile of yours doesn't reach your eyes."

She was snapped out of her thoughts at the appearance of Madam Hooch who quickly got the classes attention. "What are you all waiting for?" she called to the class. "Get by a broom. Hurry up if you want to fly today."

There was a scramble as the students rushed to the brooms, saving spaces for the friends. Tatsuki was luckily placed between Chad and Ichigo but Ichigo wasn't as lucky with the people near him. Not only was the Malfoy boy opposite him with his usual sneer, Uryuu also was also placed next to him as well. At least Uryuu seemed as annoyed with the placement as Ichigo was.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," shouted Madam Hooch to the class. "When you're ready, say 'Up'."

Tatsuki's broom jumped up instantly to her hand at the mere mention of the word. Chad's was a lot more reluctant and took a few tries to get the broom to come up. Ichigo's jumped up at his first attempt but shot up a little too fast, resulting in him rubbing his hand to try and dull the pain. Uryuu's was more unusual. His reached his hand at his first go but it did so differently. Instead of just shooting straight up, it ascended slowly and took a few seconds to reach him.

When everyone had their brooms, whether it was summoned or picked up, Madam Hooch began giving them the instructions they needed to know on how to mount the broom, spending a fair amount of time telling Malfoy that he had been doing it wrong for years.

When it came to flying though, problems started to occur. First, Neville's broom upwards too far and he slide off, falling straight towards the ground. Luckily Chad moved quickly and caught him but he wasn't able to continue the lesson in his state of mind and was sent to the hospital wing to check for any injuries.

While Madam Hooch escorted him though, Harry and Malfoy got into an argument due to Malfoy taking Neville's Remembrall. Malfoy fly up into the air on his broom and taunted Harry only for him to fly after him. It ended up with the Remembrall being caught a few feet off the ground and a furious Professor McGonagall escorting Harry away.

"Think he will really be expelled?" muttered Tatsuki as she watched the two leave.

"Doubt it," responded Ichigo. "Malfoy wasn't punished so I doubt it's a punishment. Potter's a good flyer and Professor McGonagall most likely wants to make use of that."

A few minutes later signalled the return of Madam Hooch who let them have a go at flying. Tatsuki got the hang of it in a matter of seconds while Chad decided to ride around slowly after them. Ichigo and Uryuu both continued their fashion of unusual results. Uryuu was flying around with ease, pulling out of turns and drops like a professional and keeping great control. Ichigo was the opposite. His turns were much wider and harder to control but that was properly due to the high speeds he was flying at. When questioned about it by a furious Madam Hooch, he simply said that he couldn't slow down for some reason.

Later that day, it seemed Ichigo was right. Fred and George informed them of Harry's new seeker position and they didn't even want to question the decision at all, despite first years not being allowed to play. To them, this was their change to win. No one gives up that. The next few weeks passed quicker than anyone expected and before anyone knew it, it was Halloween.

* * *

"I can't believe that Weasel," exclaimed Tatsuki as they were eating at the feast. "How could he say such a thing?"

Charms had been going well that day to start with. They had been learning the hovering charm with varying results. Her feather had seemed to be trying to dance as she made attempts at levitating it while Ichigo's flew straight up to the ceiling. Uryuu nearby was quite smug when he made his feather do cartwheels nearby to annoy them.

Then Ron Weasley had to be shown how to cast the spell correctly by Hermione Granger. He had been in a right mood after that and said some harsh things that Hermione had heard. While Tatsuki may not like the girl, she didn't think she deserved what Ron said.

"Was she okay?" asked Chad. He remembered that Tatsuki had gone after the girl to try and comfort her. Something about muggleborns sticking together.

A shake of a head gave him her answer. "I heard from others that she is still crying in the toilets. I guess the pressure has been building up and it finally overflowed at that comment."

"You can't keep your feeling sealed up forever," contributed Ichigo as he put aside his food. "No human can stand it."

"Then why do you do it?" thought Tatsuki, not daring to ask out loud. Ichigo hadn't said anything since he received the cross but had taken to wearing it every day. When she asked about it, he said it was something to remember his mother by but Tatsuki could see that wasn't the whole truth. The problem was that she couldn't push for more information like she could normally. His mother was a delicate topic.

The doors of the Great Hall suddenly flew open to reveal Professor Quirrell, sprinting for dear life.  
"Troll!" He screamed as he charged towards the head table. "In the dungeons. Troll." With those few words said, it looked like he had used up the burst of energy he had somehow summoned to get there and collapsed onto the floor.

There was silence for a moment. It was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. Then the screams happened.

Students shot out of their seats, rushing for the doors to try and escape. The Prefects were powerless to control the groups and it looked like people were going to get hurt in the panic until a booming voice filled the room.

"Silence," Said Dumbledore, his voice amplified to be heard above the noise. Every head turned to him, the panic forgotten. Seeing control returning, Dumbledore spoke again. "Prefects will escort their houses to their respective dorms. Take the safest routes possible and be cautious. Meanwhile, Teachers, if you would follow me down to the dungeons."

"With us," said the Hufflepuff Prefects as they lead Hufflepuff back to their dorms. As they were leaving, Ichigo noticed Harry and Ron running from the Gryffindors towards somewhere elsewhere.

"Where are they going?" he muttered quietly to Tatsuki, indicating towards the running boys.

"Hermione," said Tatsuki as her eyes grew wider. "She doesn't know."

"Will they be okay?" asked Chad. "Should we tell someone?"

"No time," said Ichigo as he ran from the group, moving to follow the two boys. Tatsuki moved to follow while Chad stood still.

"Chad?" asked Tatsuki.

Chad seemed to be fighting with himself, not sure what to do. "I can't…"

"Why?"

"I promised my Abuelo I wouldn't use my strength for my own use anymore. I refuse to fight. I wouldn't be of any use. I'm sorry."

Tatsuki looked sadly towards him before looking away and running after Ichigo. She caught up with him quickly enough as she found him waiting around a corner for her. They continued running as Ichigo asked where Chad was. Tatsuki just shook her head slowly with Ichigo seemed to accept.

"He has his reasons," said Ichigo. "We can't force him to fight with us. It wouldn't be right. How far are we anyway?"

"We should be right…" A scream interrupted her as they turned to the source.

Not wasting a second, they charged into the toilets to be met with an ugly beast having a club collide with its head. They saw Ron and Hermione helping Harry up, the troll collapsed on the floor.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Ichigo as he looked at them.

"Yeah," Hermione said shakily. "Harry and Ron saved me."

"What are you two doing here?" Ron demanded.

"We came to help idiot," said Tatsuki in annoyance. "Not our fault that we felt that two first years wouldn't be a match for a troll."

"Well we were."

"What did you do," interrupted Ichigo, his hands raised in front of the two to stop them arguing.

"Ron dropped the club on its head using Wingardium Leviosa," explained Harry. "It wasn't as bad as we thought."

"MOVE!" Screamed a voice. It was just in time as the troll suddenly stood up and swiped at the group. Harry, Ron and Hermione got to the door but Ichigo and Tatsuki were forced to retreat further into the toilets.

"Run," shouted Ichigo at the others. "Get help."

The three didn't waste the chance and went looking for assistance. The moment they disappeared, Ichigo grabbed the something from his pocket and looked at it. The cross and skull glared up at him as he examined it.

"Now's a better time than any for you to work," he muttered quietly to the badge before charging, ignoring Tatsuki's protests.

The troll swung at him with Ichigo easily dodged under before kicking up. It felt like he was kicking a wall though as the attack connected and knocked him off balance. In that moment of weakness, the troll struck out, slamming Ichigo into a wall.

He hit the wall with so much force that Ichigo could swear he had broken a few bones. He found himself forced to cough up the blood that had risen to his throat, his body collapsing to the floor. The badge lay scattered on the ground as the troll looked down at it. The badge was crushed without a second though as the troll reached for his club. The moment it reached his hands, he moved towards Tatsuki.

Tatsuki managed to dodge the attacks as the troll swung widely but knew it was only a matter of time. She couldn't harm it like Ichigo had tried as she couldn't dodge forever. And one hit is all it would take. She finally found herself panting for breath as she backed into a corner.

The troll raised the club and swung down at her, Tatsuki collapsing to her knees, not having the strength to move.

"TATSUKI!" Shouted Ichigo as the club descended only to watch the club shatter.

Chad stood protectively over Tatsuki, his back taking the blow. He looked over to Ichigo with a sad smile. "I won't use my strength for myself. But if you are willing to fight for me, I'll fight for you." With that, he collapsed down to the ground, the smile disappearing.

Ichigo watched in shock as the troll abandoned the broken club and moved towards the fallen Chad and the worried Tatsuki, who was desperately trying to wake Chad up.

"Is this how it all ends," Ichigo thought. "Unable to protect myself. Unable to protect my friends. And to have even more blood on my hands."

The troll pulled its hands back, ready to strike.

"I'm so weak, but still. I want to protect them. Is that too much to ask for?"

As the troll started to punch, he had one last though.

"Why couldn't I protect them like I failed to do with you mum?"

Two things happened at that moment. The first was that the troll's punch was diverted by something. It collided instead with the wall, barely missing Tatsuki and Chad. The second was the light blue energy that came flying out of the cross, forming a tsuba like shape with four prongs bent at right angles at places.

"What is this?" thought Ichigo as he looked down at the energy below him. "Is this what Dad was talking about? Is this a Fullbring?"

The troll, realising the superior threat, turned from its two targets towards Ichigo and took slow steps towards him.

Leaning against the wall, Ichigo struggled up to his feet and held the Fullbring form tightly. His placed his other hand over the first and felt the energy beneath him in the Fullbring get stronger.

"I'm only going to have one shot at this," Ichigo though, making sure the troll was far enough away from Tatsuki and Chad to hurt them. Not knowing how he knew what to do, he swung the Fullbring towards the troll, the tsuba flying off towards the troll, connected by a chain of energy around Ichigo's wrist.

The troll struggled against the energy for a moment, trying to overcome the power colliding with him. After what seemed hours, the tsuba broke through the troll's guard and collided with its chest. The troll fell backwards, crashing to the floor. Ichigo found himself doing the same, the Fullbring disappearing as he released his hold on the energy that he had been using. He finally gave into the darkness that had been threatening him for the past few minutes, barely hearing the shouts of the teachers as they spread into the room. He didn't even notice being levitated as he lost consciousness, the pull of the darkness being too strong to ignore. He didn't even hear the quiet words by his ear as he was taken for treatment.

"Impressive work Ichigo."

* * *

Dumbledore watched as the three first years were taken to the hospital wing before think back on the day's events. They hadn't been good.

Quirrell had released a troll in a troll in the school. He had used this opportunity to try to sneak into the third floor corridor but was thwarted by Severus. The troll had done too much damage though. A student shaken up or two was one thing but to have two who needed to be sent to the hospital wing for severe injuries was another. He wanted to throw Quirrell out of the school right now and expose him but his logic won in the end. Quirrell was necessary. He was the only one who knew of Tom's plan and he needed to be watched. At the very least, he wouldn't dare make a move like this again. It was too dangerous for his cover.

"Thank you for informing us in time," Dumbledore said, turning to the three frozen Gryffindors. They had been shocked stiff by their fellow first years' conditions and didn't know what to do in the situation they were finding themselves in. The three turned to Dumbledore as he continued speaking. "If you hadn't found us, they may have lost their lives. As it stands, we can heal all their injuries easily. I need to know what happened though. Would you enlighten an old man?"

Hermione seemed too shaken up to speak while Ron couldn't find the words. That left Harry who found his voice after a few attempts.

"Hermione didn't know about the troll sir," he said quietly. "We went to warn her. We thought we knocked the troll out when Ichigo and Tatsuki arrived but it got back up. We were separated from them in the confusion and Ichigo told us to fetch help. We shouldn't have left them alone."

"No my boy," said Dumbledore, ignoring his protests. "If you had stayed, it wouldn't have made any difference. Last time you had surprise on your side if you knocked it out. It would have been more cautious the second time." He turned towards the troll as he continued to speak, his eyes heavy. "It was better that you found us in time. A minute later and Mr Sado and Mr Kurosaki might have died."

Seeing the defeated look on Harry's face, he tried a different approach. "You did the right thing. It wasn't cowardice. Sometimes, true bravery is to retreat. It would have been easier to have stayed with them as you would know what was happening but that would not have helped them. To seek help without even knowing what their current fate is but still not giving up, that is true courage."

"Thank you sir," Harry said quietly. Dumbledore dismissed the three, letting Professor McGonagall escort them back to their common room. Snape took this moment to approach Dumbledore while they were alone in the room.

"What caused this?" he demanded. "Potter's story is ridiculous but plausible. It could disable a troll. But the others? The troll was defeated by magic. Even with their weak hides, trolls are still resilient to magic taught to the lower years. This magic was well beyond the talents of a first year. Even if they knew a strong enough spell, they don't have the reserves to cast it."

"Indeed," said Dumbledore, looking down at the troll. "If they were a fourth or fifth year, I could understand what happened. I examined the body myself. While the troll is merely unconscious, the front of its chest has an unusual burn. Would you like to see it?"

Snape didn't need to answer as Dumbledore flicked his wand to roll the troll's body over. On the front of the troll's chest, Snape could see a cross like shape burned into its flesh.

"How?"

"How indeed," muttered Dumbledore. "Someone must have been here in the shadows helping. This is magic far beyond a first year as you said. To burn the flesh itself shows that this was not caused by normal magic. I thought it was dark but the magic itself is too warm. It's a strange puzzle for I know no spell that could do such a thing."

"What do you want me to do?"

Dumbledore looked guiltily up at Snape as he spoke. "Use Legilimency. I don't like having to resort to such tactics but we need to know who cast that spell. Perhaps their memories of the event will show something their mind missed in their panic. Whoever cast that spell could be a friend or an enemy. We need to know in case something like this happens again. If the younger students were targeted by this magic, they could get seriously hurt."

"Understood Headmaster," Snape said as he marched off towards the hospital wing. Better be there ready when they woke up when their minds were at their weakest. That way, they wouldn't notice if he was in there for too long.

Dumbledore watched Snape go before turning back to the troll. He crouched down near it and picked up the pieces of wood scattered on the floor. Together, they looked like they had been stepped on but the wood was different than the stalls. It could be a clue.

Pocketing the pieces, he left to go to his office, letting Quirrell in to return the troll to its rightful place. He wouldn't pull anything now with so many eyes watching him.

As the corridor emptied of life, a lone boy stepped out of the shadows he had hidden in, his hand clutching a ballpoint pen tightly.

"Why did I help him?" Uryuu muttered quietly in confusion. "He's a Soul Reaper. Why did I help him?"

He left the corridor as quickly as he appeared, heading back to his dorm. The question remained on his mind the entire journey and even as he fell asleep. Why had he helped someone he wanted dead? Why had he gone against all his family had taught him? And why was he acting so much like an Ishida?"

* * *

And chapter 8 is finished. What did you guys think of my first fight scene? It's nothing big, I know, but they have to start small. He's still learning. I made Chad hesitate at the beginning because I needed to get a reason for why he fights. The Chad before this was him before he met Ichigo and now, he is the Chad that fought with Ichigo. And thoses who ask why Ichigo charged a troll...

You've seen the manga. He charged a menos with the plan to cut it down till he could hit it on the head. He had no way of knowing how strong the hides of trolls were.

I've started off with Fullbring instead of adding it later. It fits better this way in the story. Thanks to Isame Kuroda who helped me redesign Ichigo's Fullbring to suit a better theme in this story. He helped me come up with Uryuu's too so look out for it soon.

Next chapter, we may be reaching Christmas and Dumbledore starts to try to work out what happened. No guarantee that he will find out anything but who knows.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	9. Recovery and Puzzles

Chapter 9 for all you loyal readers. Sorry for the late update. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**9 - Recovery and Puzzles**

Ichigo's eyes slowly opened as he adjusted to the light around him.

"Where am I?" he questioned as he looked around the room. Wherever he was, it was one of the cleanest places he had ever seen, beds placed all around the room with barriers between them for privacy. Over in the corner was the entrance to a small office, and by it, a pair of double doors. Light shown through the open windows around him, a breeze of air flowing through them.

"The hospital ward," said Snape, watching the orange haired boy from the corner.

"What…" It suddenly all came back to Ichigo. The troll raising its club. Chad falling to the ground. And the Fullbring."

His eyes scanned the room urgently, looking for his friends.

"Miss Arisawa was released a few days ago. She returned almost every day to check one you and Mr Sado, who was released a day after her."

"I see," murmured Ichigo. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Five days. Your injuries were quite severe. A lot of your bones needed to be fixed since a large amount of them suffered fractures. Now if that is all your questions, I need to report your condition to Professor Dumbledore." Snape didn't wait for Ichigo to answer and instead just stormed out of the room.

The moment he had left, Madam Pomfrey appeared from her office, checking Ichigo's condition for fifteen minutes before finally letting him leave, making him promise her to return if he felt weak at all within the first few days.

No sooner had he left the hospital ward had Kugo suddenly appeared.

"Ichigo," he said, gesturing to an empty classroom.

Ichigo looked at Kugo strangely before following after him. The moment the door was closed, Kugo turned to him.

"I heard you were involved with the troll," he said in an even tone, not trying to give anything away.

"You heard right," said Ichigo, watching his cousin carefully. Kugo was nice and everything but when he acted like this, he was always up to something.

"How did you beat it?"

"What makes you think it was me?"

Kugo couldn't help but laugh at his statement. "Please. I snuck in when the teachers weren't looking to see what happened to the troll. Not many people would even know what that spell was unless they have seen it firsthand. You used Fullbring didn't you?

"Yeah."

"That's impressive. I would have sensed something if you had used Fullbring earlier. It has a distinct feel to it. Who would have thought that an incomplete form that was used for the first time could take down a troll in one hit."

"Wait," said Ichigo confused. "What do you mean an incomplete Fullbring?"

"You mean you don't know," said Kugo in genuine surprise. "Didn't your dad explain how Fullbring works?"

"He gave a few hints," Ichigo admitted, "But he was a bit sketchy on details."

"I can't tell if he's helping you or trying to get you killed sometimes. Suppose it is better to learn how to activate Fullbring yourself though instead of being simply told. I can at least explain how Fullbring works now that you can use it."

Reaching into his pocket, Kugo pulled out a badge like the Ichigo's destroyed one and held it in front of himself. Green energy flowed from in a sudden stream until a large broadsword was left in its place. The badge had been incorporated into a cross guard while the handle of the sword extended along both sides. Around the handle by the blade, a guard like cover was held around it which then connected to the long blade itself.

"This," Kugo explained, "Is the form of my incomplete Fullbring. 'Cross of Scaffold'. Fullbrings are created from a strong feeling or memory related to the object used. This however is not the full power you can use."

The green energy flowed out of the badge once again to cover Kugo. When the energy finally disappeared, Kugo's appearance had changed dramatically. Skeleton like armour had appeared all over his body, focused particularly at his chest, legs, hands, and joints. Underneath the armour was an outfit of pure black, the jacket of it flowing slightly from the excess energy in the air.

"This is the true form of my Fullbring."

"That's…" Ichigo wasn't sure how to describe what he was feeling. The power in front of him was making him envious. Would his Fullbring be as powerful as what he felt from Kugo's? Could he gain the power to protect people like Kugo could?"

"I'll help you," Kugo said, noticing the look on Ichigo's face. "The last step needs a helping hand anyway. It's too dangerous to attempt alone. I get the feeling that your dad didn't expect you to progress this far this fast."

"Thank you," said Ichigo, relieve in his voice. "You don't know how much this means. When can we start?"

"Calm yourself," said Kugo as he chuckled. "Your body won't have recovered enough from the troll. It did quite a number on you from what I saw when I went to visit. I'll contact you after Christmas. Then we will see what you are really made of."

* * *

"Ichigo," shouted Tatsuki, engulfing Ichigo in a hug. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am Tatsuki," came the response. It was the wrong one.

"You idiot," Tatsuki shouted as she punched him in the gut. "Why did you do something so reckless?"

"I had to try…" Ichigo began to explain before Tatsuki cut him off and began to insult him more. Chad quickly intervened as a peace maker.

"I'm sorry," Chad finally said. "I should have gone with you two from the start. Maybe I could have helped more."

"It's okay," said Ichigo. "You don't need to explain yourself to me."

"I need to," said Chad, his head dropping. "I shouted that warning but when you fell, I didn't even move. I couldn't let myself fight for my own reasons, less I return to how I was. With my strength, I would bully everyone around me. My Abuelo was the one who taught me to change and I swore on that day that I wouldn't use my strength for myself anymore."

"But in the end, you did help," said Ichigo, not willing to let his friend wallow in depression. "As you said, I'll fight for you if you fight for me. You don't have to feel bad. I doubt things would have ended up any different. You saved Tatsuki anyway with your timing."

"I see. Thank you Ichigo." Chad's face didn't change but they could still hear the relief in his voice.

"That's better. Now what did I miss?"

The three spent the remainder of their time that day catching each other up on anything they had missed. Ichigo especially needed the help after being unconscious for five days. Ichigo never should have asked how the Quidditch match went between Gryffindor and Slytherin though. For the next hour, he had to suffer listening to Tatsuki going on about every detail of the match, an excited glint in her eye. She also went on to explain how Hermione had ended up becoming friends with Harry and Ron after the troll encounter and could be found in the company of the two boys from there onwards. What Tatsuki said next was more surprising though.

"You were eavesdropping on them?" asked Ichigo confused. "Why?"

"It was an accident," protested Tatsuki. "I didn't mean to but I was there and they were acting weirdly."

"What did they say," said Chad, ignoring the protests in his mind about people's privacy. His curiosity was too great if this was something Tatsuki had decided to mention.

Tatsuki debated with herself before continuing. "They've been to the third floor corridor."

The boys were silent for a moment till Ichigo spoke up.

"The third floor corridor?" Tatsuki nodded. "The corridor where we would have a most painful death if we went there?" Again, another nod. "What the hell were they doing there?"

"I don't know," explained Tatsuki. "They must have tried to hide there or something by accident. Granger is too much of a stickler to the rules to disobey one like that. What they found though is more alarming." Tatsuki stopped for a moment to look round, making sure no one was listening in. "There's a three headed dog in there."

Silence filled the group.

"A Cerberus?" said Chad puzzled. "What is one doing in a school?"

"Something to do with Nicolas Flamel."

"Who?" they boys said.

"Nicolas Flamel," Tatsuki said with a shake of her head. "Don't ask me who he is. I don't have a clue either. All I know is that he has something to do with Professor Dumbledore."

"Keep an eye on things," Ichigo finally said. "Best to be on the safe side. We don't want to get involved if we have to but we should at least get an idea of what's going on. I'll ask Uncle Kisuke if he knows anything. For now, we watch."

* * *

As Christmas approached, Ichigo and the others were unsuccessful in their attempts to figure out the mystery that was Nicolas Flamel. They had written to Kisuke immediately yet they still had no reply. They weren't the only ones working to solve a puzzling problem as Dumbledore himself had had no luck with his own since Halloween.

"At least," he thought as the staff walked in, "I can distract myself for a while by talking about the first term. Maybe a break will be good."

At the end of each term, Dumbledore would always call the heads of house for a meeting to discuss the events of the past term. At this point of the year, they mainly focused on the progress of the first years, solving problems now instead of letting them grow as they got older.

"Well then," greeted Dumbledore as the staff took their seats. "Who would like to begin? What students have potential this year?"

No one seemed willing to start up, the heads of house all wanting to beat the others. After a few moments, Dumbledore gestured for Professor McGonagall to begin. "Minerva, if you will."

"Very well then," said Professor McGonagall. "Most of my lions seem to be settling in quite well. No problems have occurred that can't be fixed in a day or two. The usual chaos of the dorm. Hermione Granger is a particularly impressive student. Her grades are currently standing at second place, beaten only by one Ravenclaw student. Uryuu Ishida I think his name was."

"That is good," said Dumbledore. "And what about Harry Potter?"

All the other teachers listened carefully at Harry's name. Even teachers were interested in the progress of the Boy Who Lived. It wasn't just the public.

"He's fairly average in most," said Professor McGonagall finally. "He has some talent from James and Lily but his talents seem to lie more in Defence Against the Dark Arts from what I have heard."

"And the Slytherins Severus?"

Snape looked unhappy for a minute before speaking. "Like always. Power plays happen regularly in my house but it has become even more vicious since Draco joined. His father is very influential. No one really stands out in that year when Draco forces all competition to basically retreat. The only one he avoids in the Ginjo boy but I have yet to find out the reason why."

Dumbledore nodded before turning to Professor Flitwick. "How are they Ravenclaws doing?"

"As they always are Albus," said the small man. "No problems and a keen mind. They are all doing very well academically but some still suffer at the practical stages like normal. Uryuu Ishisa is definitely going to be one to look out for. He has a natural talent in Charms, of the likes that I haven't seen in a long time. I saw him make some of the simplest charms around do things only a master could. I've never met anyone at his age that had such great control of their magic."

"I saw a similar thing with one of the Hufflepuffs," said Professor McGonagall. "Pomona, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead," came the reply.

"Tatsuki Arisawa was quite impressive in Transfiguration. It simply came naturally to her from what I saw. I can already imagine her going to do great things in the field."

"She is one of the most promising students in Hufflepuff," Professor Sprout said proudly. "The Hufflepuffs are loyal to each other as always but her and her two friends have stood out the most. Yasutora Sado and Ichigo Kurosaki. Yasutora has proven to be excellent at Herbology along with Neville Longbottom from Gryffindor."

"That is good to hear," said Dumbledore, excited at the abilities of the new students. "And Mr Kurosaki?"

The teachers all looked amongst themselves, unsure what to say.

"Well?" asked Dumbledore in confusion. No student had ever caused a reaction like this.

"He's unusual," said Professor McGonagall finally. "We've discussed him a few times after lessons but he is such a strange contradiction to what he appears to be."

"He is," said Professor Flitwick. "He looks like an above average student. That's what you get from his work that he hands in."

"His work in all subjects seems like that," continued Professor Sprout. "Until you give him a wand for things."

"How bad is he?" asked Dumbledore. Under no circumstances could there be two Seamus Finnigans. The school wouldn't survive.

"That's the thing," said Professor McGonagall. "He's not bad. He's brilliant. His spells work practically first time and have tremendous results."

"So why is this a problem? Students sometimes perform better when it comes to practical work instead of theoretical work."

"We aren't talking a marginable increase Albus," Professor Flitwick said. "I've compared his work with his actions during class. The difference is too much when you compare the two. Sometimes, the movements are slightly off yet the spell still works. Heck, the spell even works stronger than intended. It's almost like he can't control how much power he puts in the spell and it forces the spell to work with sheer strength. One thing is certain though. He is a prodigy when it comes to magic."

"Surely not," Snape contributed. "If he really is a prodigy, his work and spells would be perfect quite frequently."

"Then I'm not explaining it right to you," said Professor Flitwick. "When I say he is a prodigy at magic, I mean that he is excellent at magic in general. It is completely different from someone like Uryuu who is a prodigy at Charms. If we were to compare the two, I would say that Ichigo would learn the course faster and become very good at using Charms however Uryuu would be able to go further than Ichigo could due to his understanding."

"This is unusual," said Dumbledore curiously. "From what I hear, it sounds like he learns at a very fast rate, beyond anything I have ever seen."

The teachers nodded at his statement before moving on to other students. When the meeting finally ended, Snape followed after Dumbledore to his office. The gargoyle guarding the entrance moved aside at the password and the two men found themselves in the office a moment later.

"Sherbet lemon?" Dumbledore asked as Snape took a seat opposite the headmaster.

Snape ignored the offer and jumped right into talking. "What is being done about Quirrell?"

"Straight to business Severus?" said Dumbledore jollily. "You need to enjoy living more." Dumbledore stopped his act when he saw that Snape wasn't responding and sighed. "The last defence for the stone is being installed just after Christmas."

"Will it be another test for the Potter brat," sneered Snape. "You are putting too much hope on the boy."

Dumbledore simply smiled "Have faith Severus. He will succeed, I assure you. And if he doesn't, you get your wish. Isn't that what you want?"

Snape choose to ignore the jab at him and pressed on with his questions. "What about Quirrell? He is much too powerful to be defeated by these traps. He could grab the stone and run before the boy could reach him."

"The last defence will stop him," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling in anticipation. "I designed the last task myself. Something that will test Harry's resolve to do the right thing and at the same time, bar Quirrell from the stone."

Pulling out item from his desk, he handed it over. Snape looked down at the item in confusion. "What is this," he asked, staring at the piece of wood with a skull and cross on it.

"I found it in the girls' toilets in pieces," explained Dumbledore. "It took a while to fix as it was resistant to my magic but I eventually did it."

"That doesn't explain what it is."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said as he took the badge back from Snape. "It is but a piece of a puzzle. We need more pieces to see the picture. What did you learn from their minds?" He didn't need to specify who.

"I have examined the memories carefully. I have found very little of use."

"I see," said Dumbledore. "What did you find?"

"Nothing from the Arisawa girl. Her view was blocked most of the time by the troll and later, her friend, Sado." Snape paused for a moment before continuing. "Sado held more luck. He didn't see anyone but he did see the troll getting back up. What he missed though is that the troll was revived, instead of being simply stunned from the blow it gained from Potter's lot."

"In other words, someone purposely reawaken the troll. But why? Was it to attack Harry? What about Ichigo Kurosaki's memories?"

"Nothing," Snape said in defeat. "I got nothing at all."

This was a surprise to Dumbledore. "Nothing? He can't have Occlumency shields at his age. No child has the mental capacity to manage them, especially from a surprise attack."

"That wasn't the problem," muttered Snape. "If anything, I don't think he even had the natural defences everyone is born with. I entered his mind easier than I have entered anyone else's. That was the start of the problem."

Dumbledore gestured for Snape to continue as he waited patiently.

"Whenever you enter someone's mind, it is always plain and bland. A box room, full of memories and thoughts. Nothing else exists there and nothing else ever would. But for him, it wasn't that."

Dumbledore froze for a moment before speaking. "What do you mean?"

"His mind Dumbledore," said Snape. "It was filled with giant buildings, tilted on their sides. Rain clouds hung above me and, when I tried to look through his mind, a figure appeared."

"A figure?" asked Dumbledore. "Himself?"

Those thoughts were dispelled quickly by Snape. "No. It was a middle aged man, cloaked in black. He looked at me for a minute before saying one thing. 'Get out'."

"So you obeyed him."

"I tried to resist but I found a sword at my throat faster than I could act. I wasn't going to stay after that."

"Intriguing. A sentient guardian within a mind." Dumbledore walked over to a cabinet nearby before taking out a broom from it. The broom was slowly deposited onto his desk, allowed Snape to have good look at it. All along the broom, there were small cracks and chips, the broom looking like it had been damaged in some way.

"Madam Hooch came to me after her first flying lesson this year," explained Dumbledore. "She had a list of the few which she thought didn't need any more lessons. Miss Arisawa was one of them along with Uryuu Ishida. Harry was already excused by Professor McGonagall but it was the fourth person that surprised me."

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yes. But it wasn't just because he didn't need lessons. It wasn't safe. You remember what was said in the meeting. About how it seemed like he couldn't control the amount of energy he is releasing. This was why he couldn't fly anymore."

"I don't understand."

"Look at the broom Severus," Dumbledore said. "This broom was old but it was in good condition. This was it after Mr Kurosaki used it. It can barely fly and the runes on the broom are practically destroyed from exposure to a high concentration of energy."

"And that's why you seem so interested in the boy."

"Indeed. The boy is a puzzle that needs to be solved. We understand that his has power but what is his morality?" Dumbledore took to pacing as he spoke. "You know what is at stake. Harry must one day defeat Voldemort and I need to prepare him for that day. Ichigo Kurosaki is something I didn't expect. He's too much of an anomaly to even account for. We need to keep an eye on him in case he turns. Can you do so Severus?"

"Of course," Snape responded dryly. "I'll watch the boy. And if he poses a threat?"

"Come to me first," said Dumbledore gravely. "A child that strong could be a weapon for either side. And if Tom learns about him, he will try to recruit him, mark my words. We don't know how he will act if given the offer. Most of the current Slytherins would accept while most of the Gryffindors would decline. The Ravenclaws would normally stay out of it or join either side but you can work them out on a one to one basis. Hufflepuffs are the wild cards. Everyone underestimates them when it counts so they can go either way, untied to any stereotype choices. Watch him carefully. If you don't, everything we have been preparing for may be ruined."

* * *

And that concludes chapter 9. Ichigo's back on his feet and Kugo has decided to offer his assistance. You will notice that Kugo's completed Fullbring is the one he stole from Ichigo. In this story, it was his complete from. It suits him more than just a sword and most Fullbrings will be Clad Types as their complete forms.

Dumbledore is getting suspicious it seems. Ichigo better be careful with him and Snape watching his moves.

Now to clarify one thing for anyone who was left unsure at the end of this chapter, a prodigy of magic doesn't mean they are a prodigy of all the subjects. It just means that magic in general comes naturally to them so they learn the aspects quicker. A prodigy of a subject will learn slower however they have a greater understanding of their field and can take it beyond what a prodigy of magic can achieve.

Just because he has the abilities though, doesn't mean he will be able to do everything a normal Witch or Wizard can. A Soul Reaper can never apparate, they can never become animagus, and they can never perform Legilimency and they can never use Occlumency. There may be other things that I decide they can't do but for now, they are some of the main things.

Now the next chapter won't be out till Tuesday. I have some important work to finish so I can't spend much time writing in between like normal so there will be no chapters out before then.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	10. Mirrors and Christmas

Chapter 10 is here. Thanks for being patient and waiting. I would have it out sooner but I had a lot of work to do along with revision for some tests and finishing off a project. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

As for the review answers that I couldn't message:

Elsepth - As for your answers, Dumbledore and other Wizards know about the existence of Soul Reapers and the Quincy. They don't however know of the identities of them except for a few. Also, Ichigo's power currently is Fullbring, which is unique for the person. He can't identify results from it because he is unfamiliar with how its energy feels. As for is the Soul Reapers do any soul reaping? Who knows.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**10 - Mirrors and Christmas**

Uryuu looked out of the window at the falling snow, watching it land on the ground outside. He had been happy enough at Hogwarts for Christmas but his grandfather had insisted he come back and visit.

"Why do I need to be here?" thought Uryuu as he glanced around the room. His grandfather's house was a small place but very cosy. Small decorations were all over the place, a roasting fire in the corner where his grandfather had taken up residence. "Why," Uryuu wondered, "Couldn't I have just stayed at Hogwarts? I was enjoying being away from here."

"Because I wanted to see my grandson," Souken said over by the fire, his head turning towards Uryuu slightly to give him a smile.

Uryuu scowled at him as he turned back towards the window. How his grandfather could predict what he was thinking, he would never know. It was damn annoying though.

Souken stared towards his grandson sadly. He had been different since he had returned. More cold towards him, yet it seemed so forced at times. Was he trying to reject who he was so that he could be more like the Vandenreich? Or was he confused about who he should be and was trying to find himself?

Uryuu had barely contacted him for the past few months. His letters had been small and few since Hogwarts began. The only reason Uryuu had been persuaded to come was because he had written to the headmaster to request Uryuu presence for Christmas day. Dumbledore had been happy to help luckily. It seemed a few other guardians were in similar situations like himself and the school had compensated because of it. It should also help him with his 'problem' that he was informed about.

"If only Ryuken was here too," Souken thought sadly as he turned back to the fire. "Family is important after all. You can't replace it, no matter how hard you try. Maybe if those two reconciled, Uryuu would accept who he was and stop trying to be like the others."

Uryuu meanwhile was still staring out the window, his mind far away. "Can't time go by any faster," thought Uryuu impatiently. "I need to check that mirror again. Maybe it's different this time."

For the past few weeks, Uryuu had been visiting a strange mirror that he had found in an abandoned classroom, never staying more than a few minutes at a time. He had been making trips almost every time he had a chance, just to see what the mirror would show. He never risked staying longer that he did though. There was something off about the mirror. Something terrifying about it. He didn't know how he knew but he could tell that if he stayed for a second longer than he did, he could end up staying by it for an eternity.

Then there was the problem with Ichigo. He had helped him. Why? Ichigo Kurosaki was the son of Isshin Kurosaki, a Soul Reaper. He was the son of a Quincy, admittedly a disgraced Quincy who had abandoned his role, but a Quincy none the less. He and Ichigo were meant to be enemies from the moment they were born. No mercy should ever be shown, no help offered, no kindness given. That was the natural of the relationship the two beings had between each other. Hadn't the others in the Vandenreich taught him all this since the moment he could talk. The Quincy have been enemies with Soul Reapers since they first meet. They were the darkness of the Wizarding World while we are the light. That's what he had been taught.

"So why," thought Uryuu as he contemplated all of this, "Did I help him and his friends? I could have let the troll crush them but I didn't. Why didn't I? It's not like his friends were innocent. It was their fault for hanging around him. They would have been acceptable losses for the death of a Soul Reaper right? I could have just walked on by and left them to die and I would have been praised for doing so. So why did I act like how dad would or how grandfather would? I don't want to be an Ishida like them."

So caught up in his thoughts, Uryuu barely noticed time passing and when he was finally able to go back to Hogwarts, he didn't even bother to say goodbye before he left. His mind was too busy on other things. By the time he reached Hogwarts, he headed immediately towards to the mirror's location, hoping and praying that the image had changed. He didn't want what he saw. Right?

* * *

"Meow."

The small sound of the cat filled the night air as it travelled down the road. A few people stopped to stare at the cat before continuing on, not giving it another thought. Just another stray they believed. What else could it be?

There would have been a completely different response in the Wizarding World though. Most people would treat the cat the same as the muggles would and wouldn't think anything of it. Then they would turn back round in shock, looking at the black fur of the cat with its golden eyes. A few seconds would pass between the two, the cat discretely moving a bit faster, before the chase would begin.

At first, the chases had been welcomed. She had found it quite funny to lead the Witches and Wizards on wild goose chases. They were so easy to escape from and they never posed a problem. Nothing they did could catch her. The looks on their faces when she got away were always funny.

After a while though, the chases became a nuisance. No longer could she travel around places like Diagon Alley normally. She had to stick to the shadows when she moved, using her stealth skills to the max. Whoever had created that Chocolate Frog card was going to pay. Slowly.

Moving along the stone covered paths, the cat saw its destination ahead of itself. It was easy to identify if you knew what to look for. The fact that even the house itself was covered in decorations made it easier. Unlike the houses nearby which might have had a snowman or two in the garden, it was more like a legion by this house. There were even lights hung all over the house.

"Honestly," thought the cat as she approached the house. "That man is like an overgrown kid. He just can't resist can he?"

Silently jumping up, the cat peered through the window. She could see two little girls opening presents excitedly, an older orange haired boy nearby watching them happily. An older man was jumping about crazily, taking photos as he did so, while a blond haired man stood in the corner by the window she was at, trying on a new bucket hat.

Kisuke looked towards the cat before making a motion with his hand. Excusing himself from the group, Kisuke headed upstairs till he reached his room, opening the window to allow the cat in.

"Nice to see you again," Kisuke said as the cat jumped through the opening. "Are you going to stay like that to talk or are you going to revert to your normal self Yoruichi?"

The cat gave a small smile before it started to change. The body grew bigger, limbs extending to their original lengths. The fur retracted by into the body to reveal the clothes beneath and the claws retracted as the paw returned to its starting shape, thumbs reappearing. A few seconds later and Yoruichi stood in the place of the black cat.

"Yo, Kisuke," Yoruichi said joyfully as she reached into one of her pockets. "Merry Christmas." She chucked over a small box for Kisuke to catch and waited for him to open it. Kisuke tried to say something but she cut him off immediately and gestured towards the box.

Finally giving in, Kisuke unwrapped the present only to find a name inside it on a piece of paper:

"Nicolas Flamel."

Yoruichi smirked at Kisuke's expression. "Told you I'd find something. The vault belonged to Nicolas Flamel. I don't know what he kept in that vault but only one thing ever resided in that place. My guess it was something valuable. Something he couldn't have kept safe with himself perhaps."

"Interesting that it was his vault that was broken into," said Kisuke, his tone neutral. "It's also a very interesting coincidence how Ichigo suddenly sent me a letter asking if I knew who Nicolas Flamel was."

"You don't think…" Yoruichi's couldn't keep the shock out of her voice.

"Of course I do," answered Kisuke. "What place is said to be safer than Gringotts? Hogwarts. Even Soul Reapers have felt safe at Hogwarts. That's how powerful and secure of a place it is. The Wards of Hogwarts have never once fallen even to this day and even then, they are nothing more than the first line of defence. When locked down, that place is a fortress."

Yoruichi tried to asks something but Kisuke didn't notice and kept talking. He was too busy thinking, his thoughts being spoken out loud without him knowing. "Albus Dumbledore is known to be good friends with the Flamels. He and Nicolas even worked together at one point. If Nicolas trusted anyone to guard the stone, it would be him."

"So what do you want me to do?" asked Yoruichi, pulling Kisuke out of his thoughts. "Do you want me to head into the school? It's Christmas currently so with the few students being there currently, it would be an easy job to head in and check out what's going on."

"Don't bother," Kisuke said, shaking his head at her suggestion. "I know all we need to know from Ichigo. The third floor corridor was made out of bounds to all that didn't want to die painfully. He also heard from Tatsuki what was in there. As long as Ichigo stays away from it like he said he was going to, I'm not too bother about what is happening. Dumbledore will keep his own problems away from the students."

"What do you think it is anyway?" said Yoruichi curiously.

"I have no idea," Kisuke said, his voice betraying him. Yoruichi didn't waste the opening.

"Come on. Tell me Kisuke. You obviously have an idea. What could be so bad about telling me?"

"It's most likely a Philosopher's Stone." That shut Yoruichi up instantly.

"What…" Yoruichi shook her head lightly as she gathered her thoughts. "Are you sure?" It couldn't be. That was the most prized object of the Flamels. They would never part with it.

"About ninety percent. I can't think of anything else it could be except for perhaps the notes on the stone itself. Either would be bad news for the Flamels. The better question is who is powerful enough to threaten its safety."

Kisuke stopped himself from continuing along those ideas. He wasn't getting involved here. Not unless it affected his family.

"Regardless," he continued, "we can't dwell on things like this. We have more important matters. Did you get in contact with Tessai?"

"Yeah. It took a while for him to return but he said he would do it this summer. I'm assuming that's when you need it for."

Kisuke nodded. "He should know where to put it. I marked out the entrance already."

"Are you sure it's not too early Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked, her eyes subconsciously looking at a spot on floor where Kisuke was sure Ichigo was under.

"He learns fast," Kisuke answered. "It helps since we don't have the luxury of time anymore. Events have been set in motion and we don't know when they will unfold or what they will be, only that they have begun. I would rather Ichigo be as strong as possible when they happen, even if it means we need to accelerate his training."

Yoruichi just sighed as she climbed out of the window, waving goodbye. Kisuke was right, like always. They didn't have time to waste anymore. They could delay things for as long as possible but once events have started moving, they could never return back to where they had begun.

Jumping out of the window, Yoruichi shifted back to her cat form and ran down the street, leaving the snow covered clinic behind her as she left back for her home. She had jobs to do and information to gather. And no one was better at gathering information than her.

* * *

Uryuu picked up his pace as he sped down the hallways, skidding around the corners as fast as he could. Even the paintings stopped to watch him strangely as he strode past, his pace not even hesitating from their looks. Going back for a few hours on Christmas day hadn't been good he had decided. He had structured himself a strict schedule during the holidays, ensuring he hadn't had much free time. If he hadn't been reading in the library, he had been practicing his spell work and his other abilities. With the remaining time left, he would visit the mirror, the schedule always forcing him to leave to keep on track with it. The moment he had got back though, he had found the calling of the mirror far too strong to resist. He had spent less time practicing and more in front of that death trap. The worst thing is that he couldn't help it. Even though part of his mind shouted at him to stop and resist, it was drowned out by the part of him that had grown attached to the mirror, the part of him that was causing him to move towards it now.

Spotting the suit of armour by the room, he dashed over to the door and snuck inside. The classroom had been abandoned long ago. Desks and chairs were stacked against walls, covered in dust and cobwebs. Barely a creak could be heard from the room and an eerie silence filled the room.

Uryuu though didn't bother with any of that. His gaze was locked on only one object in the room. A tall mirror stood by one of the walls, everything cleared away from it. It was a magnificent sight. The mirror stood on two clawed feet, surrounded in an ornate golden frame. It was so tall that it actually reached the ceiling of the classroom. A lone inscription stood carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on woshi.

It hadn't taken Uryuu long to work out what it meant. It was a mirror after all so it was only logical that the inscription itself be reverse like any writing shown to the mirror would be. I show not your face but your heart's desire. The fabled Mirror of Erised.

Taking his usual seat, Uryuu stared into the mirror once more, watching as the same sight appeared before him as it always did. Always the same. By him, he saw his father looking down at him, a small smile on his face. His grandfather was nearby too, waving happily to Uryuu. The one thing that had confused Uryuu was that he had seen Ichigo and his friends in it as well, calling over to him. He couldn't understand why he desired that and refused to accept it. Once again, the mirror had shown him the same thing as it usually did. Where were the Vandenreich? Where were the rest of the Quincy? That's what he truly wanted his mind continuously told himself yet they had never once taken even a footstep into the image.

"Maybe I should stay here?" Uryuu thought hesitantly. "Maybe the image will change if I stay in front of it long enough." He tried to fight these thoughts but he felt himself losing his will, the call of the mirror too strong to…

A noise at the door snapped him out of daze, bringing him back to reality. The mirror's pull may have been strong enough to make him lose focus but his will was still strong enough to react to danger. He launched himself towards the desks nearby, barely hiding behind one before the door opened. Uryuu heard the door close and footsteps approaching. He slowly peered through a small hole in the desk to see the intruder.

In had walked Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster.

Uryuu forced himself to calm down. It wasn't like it was out of bounds to be here. It was only…

He froze as he realised the truth. His watch on his hand had confirmed it for him. It was almost midnight. "But how," he thought in panic. "It feels like it has barely been a few minutes yet I somehow arrived here hours ago."

The door opened once again and Uryuu stared in shock at the door. It closed by itself. How? There was no one there.

Until a cloak was removed by Harry Potter. Uryuu could barely hold in a gasp, shocked from disbelieve. How did Harry have an invisibility cloak? They were rare enough as it was. It was so effective that he hadn't even been able to sense him under that cloak.

Harry however didn't even notice the headmaster in the room. He just rushed over to the mirror and deposited himself on the floor, staring into the mirror in anticipation. He was so engrossed in what he saw that he didn't even move his eyes away from the mirror, just letting himself get lost in its wonder. Uryuu wanted to stop him. He wanted to grab him and get him away from the mirror. Every fibre of his being told him to do so, enhanced by the knowledge of what it was doing to himself.

Before he could say anything, Dumbledore spoke up first. "Back again Harry?"

"I… I didn't see you sir," Harry stuttered out, his face showing his panic of being caught by the headmaster no less.

"Strange how short sighted being invisible can make you," responded Dumbledore, his friendly smile reassuring Harry from what Uryuu could see. "So I see that you have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised like so many before you. Now that you have spent some time in front of it, would you like to take a guess at what it does?"

"It shows…" started Harry before rethinking what he was going to say. "It at least shows me my family. Ron saw something else."

"Ah yes," Dumbledore said. "I believe Mr Weasley saw himself as Head Boy if I'm not mistaken."

"How did you…"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible," Dumbledore said gently. "But knowing that, can you think of what the mirror shows us all?"

Harry shook his head.

"I see. Allow me to explain it for you then. If the happiest man was to look in this mirror, he would see nothing but his reflection. Nothing more and nothing less. To him, the mirror would be completely ordinary. Does that help at all?

"It shows us what we want," Harry said slowly. "Whatever we want."

"I wish," thought Uryuu as Dumbledore spoke.

"Yes and no. It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest desires of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing alongside you. Ronald Weasley however has always been overshadowed by the actions of his brothers. He desires to be seen as the best among them, hence he sees himself standing alone. This mirror is a curse however. What lies in beyond the glass is not knowledge and not truth. What we see is merely an illusion the mirror has conjured up and, I'm afraid to say, many unfortunate souls have wasted away by this mirror, their minds shattered. Is what we see real? Is it fake? These questions attack the mind like a parasite and can invade your every thought. I would hate to see another boy get destroyed by it."

Even though Uryuu was hidden from sight, he knew that last part had been said to him.

"From tomorrow, the mirror will have a new home. I beg of you Harry, do not go in search of it. If you do ever come across it again, at least now you will be ready to face it. It is not a good idea to dwell on dreams while forgetting to live in the process. Dreams are only an escape from reality. Trust an old man on this one." Dumbledore glanced at the side of the mirror as he said that, his eyes softening at a memory only he could see. "Now why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and head back to bed. We wouldn't want Mr Filch to catch you after hours would we? I believe Gryffindor is doing quite well on house points since that last game."

Harry nodded slightly before moving to wrap the cloak around him. He stopped midway as a question came to him. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did so," chuckled Dumbledore. "You may ask me one more thing however."

"What do you see in the mirror?"

"Me? I see myself holding a pair of thick woollen socks."

Uryuu wanted to face palm himself at that. What an obvious lie.

"One can never have enough socks, my boy," explained Dumbledore. "Yet another Christmas and I received not a single pair. Instead I get nothing but books. I don't understand why."

Harry seemed to accept the answer and disappeared as the cloak covered him. Uryuu saw the door open and shut and waited for the headmaster to leave like Harry.

"You can come out now, Mr Ishida," Dumbledore said, turning towards the desk Uryuu had hidden behind.

Uryuu pulled himself out from his hiding spot to face the man. "How long did you know?"

"Since you began visiting the mirror," Dumbledore said quietly. "I didn't interfere before since I believed you had it under control. A few students in the past have been attracted by the mirror but being away from it quickly cures them of its power, hence the reason I agreed so quickly to allow you to leave."

"I did think it seemed slightly rushed. Grandfather did mention he only wrote to you a day or two before."

"I sent him a letter. As your guardian, he had to be informed of any decisions to do with you that can affect your health, whether they are good or bad." Dumbledore looked sadly down at the boy before continuing. "I'm stopping you now because the opposite of what we wanted has happened. I underestimated the affect that the mirror had on you and instead caused you to seek out the mirror more, as if you were having a withdrawal symptom. For that, I am sorry."

"It's okay," Uryuu found himself muttering.

"No," argued Dumbledore, "It isn't. I meant what I said though. The mirror must be moved. It will help, though you will be a bit anxious for the first few days. You won't find the mirror but I still beg of you like I did Harry, do not search for it. As long as you don't see the mirror for a few days, the severe effects it has had on you will wear off. Part of the allure of it is due to the knowledge of its location but once you have escaped its clutches once, you can resist it if you meet it again."

"You speak from experience sir."

"Maybe I do. Regardless, off to bed with you as well. You've been here long enough I think."

"Thank you sir," Uryuu said as he bolted as fast as he dared towards the door, not daring to look at the mirror.

The door closed behind him as Dumbledore sighed.

"At least I saved the boy before it was too late," thought Dumbledore guiltily, ashamed that he hadn't acted sooner. Part of it had been out of fear though. He had almost fallen prey to the mirror once before as well. Glancing to the mirror, his eyes fell on the girl in it, her blonde hair reaching down to her shoulders and her blue eyes catching his own. A small smile rested on her face. This was his sister, Ariana.

Yet Dumbledore didn't see the sweetness and kindness in her that she had. The smile was more sinister, watching him hungrily, tempting him to come closer. The eyes held no compassion in them and instead mocked him, taunted him. Dumbledore took a step towards the mirror involuntary before turning on his foot and running for the door. It may have not been inspiring to see someone regarded so much running from a simple mirror, but Dumbledore didn't care. Some things in this world were beyond the understanding of mortal men.

The mirror image of Ariana watched Dumbledore leaving for a moment before disappearing, an angry scream on her face as she vanished. Her prey had escaped.

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter. I had a lot of fun writing the mirror. Tell me what you think. Did I make it sinister enough?

This chapter was a lot more Uryuu intensive than previous ones. It was pointed out to me that I should show Uryuu a bit more and how his views are changing. There may be a few more moments for him but I thought he would suit finding the mirror best in this story.

You know the drill. Read, enjoy, review, ponder philosophically.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	11. Training and Discovery

Chapter 11. I don't know how I wrote so much with this one. Almost 5000 words and the book is barely used for details. I think this is one of my favourites so far. So, without further a due, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**11 - Training and Discovery**

No sooner had the holidays started had they ended also. Students trickled back into the magical halls once more and the previous routine started back up. The library was once again filled, Quidditch practices resumed like normal, the only difference in anything being the intensity of the activities. Teachers pushed harder in lessons now that the students had adapted to the school, the work load increasing and becoming more difficult. Quidditch quickly become many students' focus as they match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff was rapidly approaching. Tatsuki had begged to two to join her to watch the match when it happened, not noticing the grimaces they shot each other. What would Tatsuki be like watching a match live instead of simply telling the story? They weren't sure they wanted to know.

Still, after the short time they had been back at Hogwarts, Ichigo had begun to grow impatient. Kugo had said he would contact him after the holidays but so far, no word had been heard. Was he doing this purposely to watch him struggle or had he literally forgotten.

It didn't help that Kugo had been very allusive. Ichigo couldn't get near him in classes to ask him discretely with all the Slytherin around him and he couldn't find him after the lessons ended. He just kept disappearing just as he found him.

And, just when Ichigo was reaching his limit, an owl arrived at breakfast for him with a small note attached to its leg:

Friday at nine. Meet in the previous room.

"Finally," Ichigo thought in relief before turning his attention to his two friends. The problem was that they didn't know what he had planned. Part of him wanted to tell them but the rational part of his brain reminded him of his dad's warning. The magic he was using wasn't meant to be common knowledge.

"No," he thought. "I'll need to sneak out. It shouldn't be too hard. Chad's a heavy sleeper and Tatsuki won't know. Let's just hope I get back before they notice.

Ichigo looked at his watch again, counting down the seconds. He would have already left but his other dorm mates had been reluctant to fall asleep, instead talking about the upcoming Quidditch match. Ichigo still didn't understand how some people could be so obsessed with the sport. Where was the appeal?

Looking back at his watch, he saw the time showing eight thirty. Just enough time to make it. Ichigo slowly counted to himself as he listened to the sounds of snoring. One, two, three… Where was the fourth? A large snore came from the corner of the room making Ichigo sigh in relief. That was four. It was time to go.

Lifting himself of the bed slightly, he peered out of the curtains. His eyes adjusted to the small light by the door and he slowly pushed himself out through the curtains. Slowly treading, he quickly reached the door and slipped out, moving quickly towards the common room.

He barely managed to duck behind something as he entered when the noise attracted the room's sole occupant. Cedric Diggory sat by the fire, doing what looked like some last minute work. The noise of the door had obviously startled him.

Cedric stared towards the door that Ichigo had come from before speaking a bit loudly than normal.

"I guess I should get to bed. I just need to organise these notes. Hopefully it won't take too long."

Ichigo got the message and snuck to the staircase leading up as Cedric turned. He hadn't interacted with the third year much but he could see that he was alright if he wasn't bothering to catch him. He must have snuck out at some point as well and wasn't going to question him.

That almost caused Ichigo to laugh which would have defeated the purpose of stealth. Cedric was seen as a role model to students. He was diligent in his work, always offering advice to those who needed it, and was the star of the Quidditch team for Hufflepuff. I wonder what they would think if they found out that he was actually a late night explorer as the Weasley twins referred to themselves as.

Finally free of the house, Ichigo snuck through the corridors quickly, wary of any Prefects or Teachers on patrol or even Filch himself or his cat, Mrs Norris. The cat was some kind of demon. How else could anyone explain the telepathic connection between her and Filch. No matter how far away he was, he got to her almost a minute or two after she called him.

The classroom took most a while to get to in the end. He almost ran into a Gryffindor Prefect with red hair on the route, barely dodging behind a suit of armour nearby. Luckily the ghosts nearby distracted the red haired boy and allowed him to escape. They even pointed out a few shortcuts that would get him there more easily. Ichigo could swear that the ghosts weren't supposed to encourage this behaviour.

The door swung open as Ichigo reached it, Kugo standing there waiting. "Five minutes left cousin. I thought you would have been here quicker with how you've been looking the past few weeks."

"I was delayed," Ichigo shot back, a scowl on his face. "It wasn't easy to sneak out while other people are discussing Quidditch loudly for over an hour."

"Regardless," said Kugo smiling. "We should get going."

"Wait," Ichigo said in confusion. "Aren't we practicing here?"

"Here?" said Kugo, raising an eyebrow at the question. "Sure, if you want to alert everyone in the castle to what we are doing. Fullbring training isn't exactly quiet or calm. The teachers would sense the energy given off as well, regardless if they can actually identify it."

"But you already used your Fullbring here. Won't they have caught on to that?"

"Don't worry," said Kugo as he started walking, motioning for Ichigo to follow. "I kept it under control. They might have caught a blip or something but not enough to locate it. All I did was release it. It's much more noticeable when you fight or don't show restraint with your power. I get the feeling you will find the latter harder than most."

Before Ichigo could protest the claims, Kugo put a finger to his lips for silence. They heard soft footsteps, slowly getting closer before Kugo dragged Ichigo off in a different direction. Half the passageways they went down were completely new to Ichigo. "Kugo must have had snuck out a lot to know these routes," Ichigo thought. "How else would he be so confident with these paths."

After a while of sneaking through the corridors, Ichigo found them going upwards towards one of the towers. The snaking staircases stretched upwards towards the top and they didn't stop at any floors until they reached it.

The door in front of them was quite ancient. The hinges, the handle, the wood. It was older than all the doors in the castle from what it seemed.

"No one ever bothered with this door's upkeep," explained Kugo, watching his cousin from the corner of his eye. "It's the same door as from when this castle was built and it hasn't even been worn away by the passing of time."

"The founders must have put a lot of care in this doors construction," muttered Ichigo. Kugo nodded in response before placing his hand on the door. Nothing happened for a moment until Ichigo saw a faint flicker of green light from Kugo's hand.

In response, marking on the door glowed green, as if identifying them. With a sudden click, they faded and the door swung open.

Kugo led Ichigo into the room before glancing behind them and shutting the door. Lights lit up the room from torches on the walls, responding to the need for light. The room was completely bare. Nothing was there in the small room except for an archway in the centre of the room.

The archway seemed to be made of something different than the stone of the walls. It seemed almost metal like in its colour and appearance, like a pure silver doorway. Runes were etched into the metal in elaborate patterns, forming complex arrays and scattered together in clusters, yet somehow all linking together.

"Let's give it a try. Try summoning some of the Magic your Fullbring uses."

Ichigo turned to Kugo puzzled. "How? I haven't been able to get my Fullbring working since Halloween."

Kugo sighed before pointing at the cross around Ichigo's right wrist. "What did you feel when you summoned your Fullbring for the first time? What did you feel? No, don't tell me. Just think it and use the energy on the archway."

Ichigo took a breath as he thought back. What had he thought? He had wanted to protect his friends, he knew that. But that wasn't all was it. What triggered it? What else did he think about desperately at that time? The only other thoughts he had was on his mother-

Ichigo stopped his thoughts as he felt the familiar energy. Not letting it escape, he pressed his hand against the archway and watched as the runes glowed brightly. The lights danced along each other until all the runes were shining brightly when energy began gathering in the archway. It expanded out slowly until it filled the archway, showing a space through the newly formed portal.

"So that's it," thought Ichigo as he watched in amazement. "The reason I want to protect people originated from mum's death. It was that memory that I needed."

"Well done Ichigo," Kugo said as he patted Ichigo on the back. "Lesson one is complete. Let's head in and continue onto lesson two."

The two stepped through the portal to find themselves leaving a similar archway. It closed behind them as the two exited it and, like before, lights lit around the room, welcoming their presence.

The room was different than the previous room. They seemed to be in what looked like a grand hall type room where the archway was the only thing that rested. Elegant designs could be seen on the walls, as if runes had been individually crafted into the very essence of them. Around the large room, large doors stood around the room, each leading to somewhere else. Ichigo couldn't resist taking a look through them.

The first one was a simple corridor which led to many other rooms. From peaking into one of them, it seemed likely that they were all bedrooms, far grander than the ones back in the dorms. One of these rooms was filled with red and gold while another favoured silver and green. The second door led to a small library with a few desks. The rest of the room contained either bookcases or boards. Near the boards was the largest of the tables with plenty of chairs surrounding it. The other rooms were similar to what Hogwarts had. There was a small kitchen, a greenhouse, a lab, even a classroom.

There also seemed to be a meeting room in the place, filled with many chairs of different designs. One was made with ornate snakes attached to it why another had eagles on the head. Some were more basic and there was even one that seemed to be made of bones. At the side of the room was a large glass window, exposing the area they seemed to be under. From the looks of things, they seemed to be under the black lake if the Merpeople they could see passing every so often was anything to go by. The Giant Squid was also a big giveaway.

The final room was much bigger than all the previous ones. The walls looked stronger than the others and it was almost three times the size of the others. A few extra doors in the room revealed things like showers and armouries along with storage cupboards for those training in the room.

When Ichigo finally turned back towards Kugo, he saw him leaning against one of the walls of the training hall, waiting patiently. "Done?" he joked.

"Sorry," said Ichigo embarrassed. "What is this place?"

"To be honest? I haven't the faintest. I never heard of it in any stories about Hogwarts. The books don't cover this place either."

"I see. Shall we get started?"

Kugo didn't answer and instead walking into the centre of the room. Drawing his badge from his pocket, he held it out and activated his Fullbring. A second later and the first stage of Cross of Scaffold had formed. The only difference than before was that it felt different. Stronger.

"Ichigo," Kugo called out to him. "The lesson is beginning. Try and survive."

"Wait, what…" Ichigo didn't get any further as he barely dodged the slash from the large broadsword. Kugo hit out with his foot and knocked Ichigo back before swing back round with his sword.

Dodging backwards, Ichigo shouted towards Kugo. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Summon your Fullbring or you'll die," responded Kugo, swiping out at Ichigo.

Ichigo ducked under the strike and felt the energy he had drawn on before. Grabbing it, he channelled it down in his cross allowing the familiar tsuba to appear. He barely brought it up in time to collide with Kugo's blade.

"Fullbrings," Kugo said as he stabbed again towards Ichigo, "Start off with a focus on one thing. Your situation at the time along with your will gave it the focus it has. To protect." Kugo let the edge of Ichigo's Fullbring to hit him only for no damage to appear. "You see. It can't cut and it can't slash. If you want to even get a chance at beating me, work out what it can do quickly."

"He's right," thought Ichigo as he retreated back. "But how did I defeat the troll? I thought the attack damaged it. How did I do so?"

His thoughts wondered too much as he felt pain appear as the sword slashed by his cheek. Blood trickled down the wound as Ichigo jumped over the slash at his legs that followed.

"Don't get distracted," Kugo shouted at him. "Let your mind lose focus on what's in front of you and you won't survive."

"He's right," Ichigo thought as he put some distance between himself and Kugo. "But what can I do? I can't cut him and I can't get enough force in this to hit him with my Fullbring. So what do I do? Think. How did I beat the troll?"

Thinking back to the fight, Ichigo suddenly realised what he needed to do.

"I threw it," thought Ichigo. "I threw it and let the energy harm the troll."

Kugo watched Ichigo cautiously from a distance, noticing the determined look in his eyes. "He's got it."

Pulling his right hand back, Ichigo swung the Fullbring at Kugo and released his hold on the tsuba, letting it fly at Kugo, the chain of energy connecting the tsuba back to Ichigo's wrist. The attack collided straight into Kugo's hastily raised guard and caught him unaware. The attack broke past the guard and smashed into his arm.

Grimacing slightly, Kugo rubbed his arm to dull the pain. It hadn't been on the level that had beaten the troll but it had been enough to at least hurt him. Kugo couldn't resist smiling as Ichigo caught the Tsuba on its return trip. If Ichigo was going to learn this quickly, this would be fun.

They continued fighting for what seemed forever for Ichigo, blow after blow being exchanged. Despite the damage he had managed to inflict, Kugo hadn't even slowed down, actually fighting tougher as time passed. It was just as Ichigo was ready to collapse when Kugo finally called a halt to their spar.

"Not bad Ichigo," Kugo spoke as he let Cross of Scaffold return to its badge form. Ichigo did the same with his Fullbring as Kugo continued speaking. "If this keeps up, I'll need to speed up my plans for your lessons. Did anyone tell you that you are a quick learner?"

"The teachers may have mentioned it," muttered Ichigo quietly. He could never tell what they were thinking when they talked about his learning ability. He was sworn that he had heard unnatural at one point during one of his lessons.

"Well then. We better end it here. You can't fight for more than an hour max against me at your current ability and I wasn't even pushing you much yet. I'll let you know when the next meeting is so in the meantime, build up your stamina and strength more. Fullbring involves a lot of physical fighting as you have seen, regardless whether or not the Fullbring is a ranged type or not."

"When will the next session be?" asked Ichigo impatiently. "Tomorrow?"

"Like I have said before. Calm down." Kugo paused before continuing. "We need to make sure this doesn't appear regular just in case anyone notices us leaving our dorms. We don't want anyone snooping into something they have no business dealing with. They don't have that right. I'll let you know soon when we can continue."

"Fine," accepted Ichigo. "Let's get out of here then. I just hope the teachers won't catch us on the way back."

"Don't say that," Kugo said seriously. "You just jinked us. If we get caught, I'm pinning the whole thing on you."

The two boys swiftly went back to the archway and, after Ichigo had reopened it for them, they travelled back through the portal and headed back to their respective dorms. Ichigo snuck back down to his room and crept into his bed. Not five seconds into lying on the sheets did Ichigo find himself falling asleep, exhaustion completely taking over. All the adrenaline from the night's events had finally worn off and he felt himself falling into a deep sleep, hoping no one would disturb him for a few hours. After that fight and the day's work, he needed the rest desperately.

* * *

"I hate this," muttered Tatsuki as her eyes glanced over the book in front of her. "Why is History of Magic so boring?"

"It can't be helped," said Chad, looking up from his Herbology essay. "The Headmaster said himself that he doesn't know how to get rid of him so they can't just hire a new teacher. Believe it or not, Professor Binns is still getting paid."

The three remembered it well when the Headmaster had explained it. It had all started when they hadn't been able to take the boring lessons anymore and started a boycott. They still had to learn for their exams and have the work in between marked but they just couldn't stand having him as a teacher for the rest of the year. They had been learning independently in the first place.

Naturally, others had quickly followed their example which eventually caused the Headmaster to have to intervene before it got out of hand. The main problem was that Professor Binns was just too oblivious to his status. Nothing could make him think that he wasn't still alive and, because of this, the Headmaster could not sack him since he didn't have it in him to sack the teacher who had given up the chance to pass on to teacher, even if it had been a decision he made unknowingly. Exorcists had even tried to get rid of him but they had been unsuccessful. Magic was used with intent and belief so they had no way to get rid of a ghost who was protected by magic since he truly believed himself to still be alive.

The hiatus of lessons didn't last long for most though as they found that they couldn't cope with catching up outside of lessons after using them for sleep for so long. At least before, they could get the rough history from the parts they heard while awake and research the rest later. Ichigo and his friends were the only ones still continuing the boycott. With the exception of Uryuu, everyone else ended up returning and leaving them to study independently. Even Hermione had gone back to the lessons. The idea of skiving was simply atrocious to her, despite the fact that they could learn much more without the Professor teaching.

"What can we do," Ichigo said, taking his attention away from his transfiguration notes. "Unless any of you guys know how to exorcise a ghost, we're stuck."

"You two said you could see ghosts back home," said Chad "Did any ever disappear?"

"A few, sure."

"Did you talk to them before they disappeared? If so, it might be that some of them need closure."

"That isn't the case," Tatsuki said in response. "We tried that before when we encountered a few of the more annoying ones. They just disappeared, no trace left behind except for the occasional damage from where they were."

Chad looked down dejectedly, going back to his essay. Tatsuki would have done the same with her book when she spotted Hermione entering the library with Harry and Ron. They looked like they were in a hurry to find something.

"I'll be right back," she said quickly to the boys before following after the three towards where they were talking to Madam Pince. She could just about hear snippets of their conversation. They seemed to be asking about a book that Hermione had returned a few days ago, Madam Pince being extremely unhelpful for them. But why would they be so desperate for a book. It can't be school related since otherwise, Hermione wouldn't be rushing so much. She had seen her do her work early. So why is she so desperate?

It suddenly clicked. Of course it couldn't be school work. What if it was about Nicolas Flamel. Chad had said that he had seen the three quite often in the library recently. Did this book hold the key?

Listening carefully to what the book was called, she sped further into the library, hoping to get to the book first. She sped past the bookcases one by one, scanning the labels for where she was looking. Finally, she found it. Right in the middle of the books in front of her was the book she was looking for. Taking it out, she examined it carefully.

It was an extremely old book, and large as well. It could take forever to look through it. Even the pages look old, despite the spells Madam Pince obviously used to preserve the books.

"Why do we need the book again Hermione?" came a voice round the corner sounding awfully like a certain red head.

"I told you Ron," Hermione's voice said as it got closer. "We might have missed something. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Tatsuki looked down at the book in her arms. If they found her now, they would get suspicious. Heck, they could even start suspecting herself and the others of trying to pull something, whatever that something is. But where could she run? She wouldn't be able to get away easily without them noticing and following when they saw the book. There was no doubt that Hermione would be able to identify it. Why would someone like herself even have such an old book in the first place?

Preparing herself to be found, she was caught off guard when the book was snatched out of her hands. Turning to the thief, she found herself facing Uryuu Ishida, looking awfully smug. Yet at the same time, he turned to the voices and quickly shoved Tatsuki away to another bookcase.

Hermione and the boys arrived just as she was about complain to him, causing her to pretend to search through the nearby books as if she was busy. Uryuu meanwhile, was examining the book he had taken before looking up to the arrivals.

"Hey," said Ron rudely as he saw the book that Uryuu was holding. "We need that book."

"So," said Uryuu coldly, staring at the trio with an icy glare.

"So…" Hermione stuttered out, her voice breaking slightly from the harsh look. "Can you please let us borrow that before you?"

"That's all you want?"

"Yeah," answered Harry.

Uryuu smiled triumphantly. "No thanks. You guys can wait. It's a first come, first serve type system after all."

"We just need it for a few minutes," said Harry angrily. "Don't be prat."

"Language," Uryuu said smugly. "You have an image to keep up after all, Boy Who Lived." He watched a vein pulse on Harry's head, the annoyance of being called that showing on his face. "Hit a nerve did I? I have an idea. Why don't you three run along like obedient little lions. Run along."

Grumbling in protest, the three left before Madam Pince came over to the cause of disruption. The moment they were out of sight, Uryuu took another look at the book in his hands before handing it back towards Tatsuki. Before she could ask what he was doing, he raised his hand to stop her.

"Don't," he said, not looking at her. "I don't want any favours and I didn't do this to be nice. I was here at the time so I lent a hand. Don't get any ideas on how I think of you lot."

Tatsuki was speechless. Uryuu was helping them, admittedly because he was nearby, but still. Her mind still processing this, she said the first thing that popped into her head. "Thank you."

Uryuu turned away and strode off, hiding the embarrassment he was feeling. He couldn't understand how a single thank you from one of them made him feel so good. The mirror couldn't be right. It couldn't.

Tatsuki watched the retreating figure before heading back to the group. The book hit the table with enough noise to make the two boys jump from shock. They looked up to see her smug face. "This should help."

They three completely ignored their work from that point, pouring themselves into the pages. It cost them a good thirty minutes to find Nicolas Flamel as they kept getting distracted by some of the people they were reading about. When they finally reached the page, it finally gave them the answers they were looking for:

_The ancient study of Alchemy is concerned with_

_making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary_

_substance with astonishing powers. The stone_

_will transform any metal into pure gold. It also_

_produces the Elixir of Life, which will make_

_the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Philosopher's_

_stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently_

_in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel, the noted_

_Alchemist and opera lover. Mr Flamel, who_

_celebrated his six hundred and sixty fifth birthday_

_last year, enjoys a quiet life with his wife,_

_Perenelle (six hundred and fifty eight)._

Ichigo leaned back on his chair as he thought about what he had just read. Nicolas Flamel was old. Very old. From what this book said though, it was the Philosopher's stone that made him unique. He had lived for what must have been an age to him, time slowly losing meaning. It would of course when you had all the time in the world. A lot of men would kill for something like that.

Ichigo's eyes grew wide in realisation as he turned to Tatsuki and Chad, each having similar expressions. "The Philosopher's Stone," they all said together. They had figured out what was in the third floor corridor. The big question was why? Why did the stone leave its creator's possession? It had been with the Flamels for hundreds of years since its creation and they must have been powerful to have kept an object like that for so long. Knowing this, why did Nicolas feel the need to give up the Stone? What could be so dangerous that he abandoned the one thing that kept him alive? And if it was being kept safe at Hogwarts, who was the one hunting it?

* * *

A cloaked figure leaned down to the fallen unicorn, drinking the blood greedily as he felt his strength returning. The figure knew it wasn't a permanent solution but all he needed was a little more time. The Stone would be in his possession soon enough.

The sound of a tree falling sounded nearby. The figure looked up from his meal towards the noise, the forest seeming more eerie than normal. The silence was killing him. What kind of creature could knock down one of the forest's trees? They were far stronger and taller than most.

A large growl appeared closer and the figure felt a shiver go down his spin. He could feel the beast's presence now. It was faint, but it was approaching. And it was powerful. It was almost like it was made from magic.

He looked down to his meal before deciding to abandon the rest. He could always find another unicorn but he wouldn't survive in his weaken state against whatever this creature is. Better to retreat and return later.

Turning, the figure fled away from the noise, running as fast as he dared. From the corner of his eye, he could swear he saw something as he left. Something watching him. He fled away regardless though. He would be fine as long as it didn't follow. What he wondered the most was what the creature had been. What made it so powerful that it radiated that kind of presence? And what was that white he had seen? It looked just like a mask.

* * *

And that was chapter 11. I had a lot of fun creating the training area. It's my own invention of a room since I didn't want to use the room of requirement. Everyone does and I wanted something new for my story.

How did people find the small battle? I hope it is better than the first. I had more to work with than that one so it came more naturally.

Uryuu also seems to be conflicted about Ichigo and his friends. And it seems our mysterious forest figure has stumbled upon something dangerous. I wonder what it is.

Review and let me know how I did with the fight. I want to try and get a good grip now so that I can make the future fights brilliant.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	12. Progress and Punishments

Chapter 12 is here. Sorry for the delay. I think I have my ideal releasing time now. About a one every four days sounds roughly good since it gives me time to do anything else I need to and should let me get ahead on chapters if need be. Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**12 - Progress and Punishments **

Things had taken a turn for the worst for Uryuu. The exams were rapidly approaching and the teachers were really beginning to pile up the work. Free time was becoming more and more of a luxury, especially when he was expected to get top grades like all the other Ravenclaws. Plus, he couldn't be seen to be doing worse than people who weren't even Quincy. His pride just wouldn't allow it.

It wasn't this that was a problem though. The work was proving to be far too easy. The control required for some of the spells may have been difficult for some but it was child's play for a Quincy. They were born to have perfect control unlike Soul Reapers.

No, what was the problem were the other events happening around school. Ever since that mirror, he had felt his life turn upside down. First, he was being far more helpful to 'them'. He still didn't know why but he just was. Then there was what he had overheard from the trio of Gryffindor. They had been discussing a Philosopher's Stone and stating how they believed Snape was going to steal it.

It was utterly ridiculous he thought. Their minds were blaming him because of little childhood grudges. He was evil to them and he had questionable morals so he was automatically the thief. They didn't even bother looking for any other suspects.

Uryuu couldn't stand it. They were making evidence to fit their theory and ignoring that which didn't support it. They had discussed to Hagrid that Snape had tried to Jinx the broom at one point and, thinking back, it must have been them who caused the fire in the teachers' stand. Did they not consider that the panic in the stands would have caused all the teachers do be distracted, meaning that any of them could have been casting the Jinx. Another teacher there could have easily been casting a counter Jinx so Snape could have been helping them for all they knew.

Sighing, Uryuu couldn't believe how much that had affected him. That simple fault in their logic had caused him to try and solve the mystery himself. He had seen that Snape hadn't been a traitor but he doubted they would believe him. Judging by their looks at Quirrell, they must have seen what he saw but interpreted it differently. He had wondered what that shadow nearby had been.

Uryuu watched the two Professors from a distance, just close enough so that he could hear them. He stood atop a tall tree, balancing easily on a branch as he looked down at them. He knew he would be in trouble if they caught him here. Not only was he listening in on a private conversation but he was also out of bounds. The forest was forbidden for a reason.

That was the main reason Uryuu had decided to follow them. They were acting too suspiciously. They had even found the need to have a conversation in the Forbidden Forest of all places, in fear of students or teachers overhearing them it seemed.

Looking down at the two, Snape looked similar to how he always did. He had a scowl on his face, his presence strong like normal. He practically radiated confidence. It was a complete opposite to Professor Quirrell who stood there with him. The Professor was stuttering more than he usually did, his turban stuffed with the smell of even more garlic than usual.

Yet the smell didn't distract Uryuu from what he was sensing. It was faint yes, and very weak, but it was there. A second presence right by Quirrell. Was the presence invisible or something. He had heard of certain spells that could cause similar affects but the presence was almost completely overlapping Quirrell's soul. It was like they were both in the same spot. He couldn't work out what it was but something felt off. That itself though brought the stuttering of the Professor into question.

Listening carefully, he could make out roughly what they were saying.

"I d-d-don't know why y-you wanted t-t-to meet here of a-all places Severus…"

"Oh, I thought we should keep this conversation private," said Snape, his voice filled with ice. "After all, students aren't aware of the existence of the Philosopher's Stone, much less its location in the school. It's better that things stay that way."

Quirrell tried to make some excuse about getting back and Vampires but Snape cut him off.

"Save me your excuses," he snarled. "Tell me, have you learned how to get pass that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus…"

"You're a smart man Quirrell," Snape said, taking a step towards the man. "You don't want me as your enemy."

"I-I don't know what you -"

"You know what I mean. Don't try and pretend otherwise. I'm not in the mood to play games."

An owl hooted nearby, blocking out whatever Snape said next. The only other thing he managed to hear was Snape promising Quirrell they would have another chat soon to find out who he had his allegiances with. With that little parting message, Snape had left Quirrell alone, the man frozen solid. From the corner of his eye, Uryuu thought he spotted one of the shadows move but it was gone before he could identify it.

What shocked Uryuu though was Quirrell's next actions. He looked up to where the shadow had been, as if he had known someone had been there. As the person left, his posture had become straighter, his scared look vanishing. He waited another second before vanishing into the forest.

Uryuu didn't follow. Something was wrong and it wasn't wise to act on it right now. He was a first year, even if he was a Quincy. Better to leave him to his own devices and learn more.

"It must have been Harry," Uryuu decided, deep in thought. It would explain how they heard about the conversation. Whatever was going on though was surrounding Harry. Quirrell had known Harry had been there, yet he hadn't told Snape. The moment he had left, he had dropped his guard and given Uryuu a glimpse of the man beneath the act. He wanted Harry suspecting Snape. There was no other conclusion.

There was no doubt in his mind that Quirrell was the enemy but why would anyone believe him. I mean look at Quirrell. He was the biggest scaredy cat anyone had ever met. Who would ever suspect him but then, that was the point. No one would believe him since no one would believe it themselves. It Uryuu hadn't seen under the mask himself, he would have also had trouble believing it.

Then there was that dragon that he had seen. Well, he hadn't actually seen it but the clues were enough. The gatekeeper had been collecting a few dragon books from the library if what he had seen was correct and, ever since then, the trio had been very nervous. After a bit of luck, it had been easy to figure out that it existed and it was going to be sent away to safety soon. The only problem left now was Ichigo.

His presence wasn't something that could be ignored by those who were sensitive to the energy people like himself and Ichigo gave off. It was too massive, too uncontrolled. It made him easy to find and that was the problem. He had disappeared from his senses a few times recently. He couldn't have disappeared from the grounds since his last position was up high in one of the towers. There had to be something up there that hid him from view.

The problem was that the tower he disappeared at was close to the Astronomy tower. Uryuu didn't know when the three were dropping off the dragon but the Astronomy tower was the best place to do so due to the exposed area it had at the top of the tower. If Ichigo disappeared on that night and then was caught on his way back, they were going to question him. Why would he be out so late they would ask. And if he was doing what Uryuu thought he was doing, they couldn't learn the answer. They were outsiders and under no circumstances could they learn the secrets they possessed. Right now, Uryuu didn't care if he was going to help Ichigo. If he was caught, it would be trouble for the both of them.

* * *

Ichigo ducked under a slash aimed at his head, the blade hitting empty space. Using that distraction, he kicked out with his foot, smashing it into Kugo's chest. Kugo grunted as he got knocked backwards, barely bringing his sword back round to dodge Ichigo's attack. The tsuba was deflected and bounced off to another side of the room.

Using it to his advantage, Ichigo whipped his hand back round, the chain forcing the tsuba's direction to change and launch back towards Kugo. As it was about to hit Kugo, he jumped. Green light flickered along his feet as he took to the air before he smashed his sword down as the tsuba passed. The tsuba's shape broke, causing the Fullbring to disappear.

As Ichigo quickly reformed his Fullbring, Kugo got close and slashed towards him. Ichigo swung the reforming tsuba around its path and moved the sword off course, wrapping around the blade as it did so. The blade restrained, Kugo struck out with his fist, hitting Ichigo in the face. The attack forced him back and gave Kugo ample time to free his sword from the trap.

"Not bad," he called over as he brought his sword back. "But let's see you block this."

A large amount of energy gathered along Cross of Scaffold, green in colour. The attack covered the blade and Kugo swiped with his sword. The energy flew off in an arc, smashing into the area in front of him. When the energy cleared though, Ichigo was nowhere to be seen.

Kugo kept his sword ready as he let his eyes look around. Ichigo had dodged somehow since there was no body in the blast. He was fast but he wasn't fast enough to slip past him. Not unless-

Hearing movement behind him, he brought his sword back round to intercept the surprise attack heading for him. He allowed himself a breather as he watched Ichigo reel the attack back in.

"That was Bringer Light wasn't it," Kugo said, inspecting the remaining flickers of green light around Ichigo's feet. His suspicious had been confirmed. "I didn't even teach you that yet. I'm impressed Ichigo."

"I can't wait for you to tell me everything," responded Ichigo, his eyes focused on his target. "What good would that do if I don't learn myself?"

"I see." Their silent truce ended as the two launched back into the fight, exchanging blow after blow. Ichigo's Fullbring caused him to fight further away than he would have liked but he was using it well considering. Kugo kept him on his toes though with his close range Fullbring, not letting Ichigo fight like he wanted to. He said it was to prepare him for the future. Your enemy would always exploit your weaknesses so you should learn how to deal with that now.

This had been the latest of many sessions, Ichigo's Fullbring slowly becoming more and more effective as he learned how to use it. When he had started, he had barely been able to get the chance to throw it much. Now, he knew not only how to get himself the room to act but also how to control the attack, even after being thrown. And now he had learned the movement technique that would allow him to get more room between them or launch surprise attacks.

"It won't change much though," thought Kugo as he blocked another surprise strike. The moment Ichigo tried to pull back his Fullbring, Kugo used Bringer Light himself and appeared right in front of Ichigo. "Now that he can use it, I don't need to hold back with it."

His sword came slashing down, Ichigo literally having to throw himself to the side to avoid being hit. In the process, his Fullbring was forced to dissipate back into energy, forcing him onto the defensive.

Kugo let him retreat, waiting patiently for him to reform his Fullbring. The problem with their two Fullbrings was that while his was a physical manifestation, Ichigo's was an energy manifestation. He's couldn't reform his Fullbring like Ichigo could but it was a lot harder to shatter and break. It meant that in their long sessions, he had to allow some time for Ichigo to recover when it broke. He still attacked a few times though. Any enemies he fought wouldn't wait so why should he?

At least his stamina had increased. A few of their original fights had been constricted since Ichigo's limit had been an hour at max at the start, even when Kugo was holding back. It had increased dramatically though and even though he weren't fighting as serious as he could, Kugo was impressed that Ichigo could fight against him for as long as he did. They were up to somewhere between two and three hours but he wondered how long he would be able to keep it up when it wasn't training. There was a difference when your opponent actually went at you with the intent to kill.

He discarded all those thought from his head as Ichigo charged back into the fight, just focusing on responding to his attacks. All that mattered right now was experience. It was the easiest way to develop Fullbring and Ichigo's should reach the final stage soon enough. Until then, all he could do is wait.

As they backed off once more, Kugo raised a hand towards Ichigo. "Okay. We're done for tonight."

"What?" protested Ichigo. "I can still keep going."

Kugo gave Ichigo a quick once over and shook his head. Ichigo was hiding well but he had already reached his limit. His legs were straining to even keep him standing and his hands were shaking slightly. The Fullbring attacks in the last few minutes had also clued him in. The accuracy of his throws had been slowly dropping and the strength behind the ones that had hit were far weaker than they normally were. But he knew Ichigo wouldn't accept excuses like that as a reason for stopping.

"It's getting late," Kugo said, letting his Fullbring return to its original state. "We're already far past midnight and we still need sleep. People are going to be suspicious if we are extremely tired in the morning. After all, they would have seen us go to bed early."

"I suppose you're right," Ichigo said, annoyance heard in his voice. He could feel himself getting stronger ever second and didn't want to stop when he felt he was so close to something.

"Of course I am," replied Kugo, leading the two of them over to the archway. Like always, Ichigo pressed his palm to the runes and allowed the portal to open for them. One step later and they found themselves back inside the castle. They left down the stairs and separated to their own directions, not knowing they were being watched.

Ichigo stepped down the corridors leading to the Hufflepuff dorms when he heard a dreaded noise behind him. His body froze and he felt his blood turn cold. Turning around as slow as possible, he spotted the worst fear of every Hogwarts student at night. Mrs Norris.

He stood still for a second, the two of them staring at each other. Ichigo prayed that the cat would let him pass but he knew it was hopeless. He could almost swear that the cat was mocking him, its eyes gleaming in superiority. After what seemed like hours, the cat slowly began to open its mouth.

The instance the cat started to make a sound, Ichigo ran. He knew that Filch was the bane of all students out of bounds and could turn up from nowhere. Still, you never knew if you didn't try. Ichigo sped down the corridors, jumping for a staircase as it was about to move and ran down it. A left, a right, he lost count of how many turns he had made or even where he was. To make things worse was that he had been trying to go down but had somehow ended up higher than he had been previously. God, he hated this school's layout sometimes.

Before he could move any further, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning round to accept his fate, he found himself facing the last person he expected to see this late. Uryuu Ishida.

"What are you doing here Ishida?" he whispered, afraid any sound would alert Filch to their location.

"I'm here to give you a hand Kurosaki," he said back, acid in his voice. "I thought you would be a bit more careful with your practices but I guess not."

Ichigo froze before turning to Uryuu. "What -"

"Not now," Uryuu muttered.

"What do you mean not now," Ichigo exclaimed. "How do you -"

"Quiet," Uryuu said abruptly, listening carefully around him. "Do you want that blasted caretaker to find us?" He instead found himself held against the wall.

"How do you know?" Ichigo demanded, saying each word with as much force that he could summon. It helped calm the pit of worry that was slowly building in his stomach.

Uryuu sighed before answering. "I could sense you. I worked out where you were since you kept vanishing from my senses so I knew where you would reappear and, as for what you were doing, I have some… prior knowledge. Does that satisfy you?" He said the last part sarcastically but it seemed to be enough. Ichigo released his grip and his expression turned now to confusion.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Events out of our hands forced the caretaker to be more… vicious on his searches tonight. And I don't want people learning about what you were doing. Do you?"

Ichigo shook his head. Uryuu was about to point out their best route of escape when they heard a soft noise nearby. The call of a cat.

The two exchanged a glance before running. They reached the end of corridor and turned -

"Hello boys," came a voice. The two boys slowly turned to look down the corridor they were turning into and felt the chances of escape drop drastically. In front of them was the worst person they could have run into. Filch. The man stood there, staring at them while stroking the cat held in his arms. The worst thing was his smile, as if he was having the time of his life tonight. "Going somewhere?"

* * *

Ichigo and Uryuu were marched down path after path, staircase after staircase. They didn't know they were going but Filch obliviously did. They finally arrived at the first floor where they were led to one of the rooms. Filch gave a quick knock before letting himself in. The two boys had no choice but to follow, Mrs Norris hissing at their feet.

As they entered the room, the saw a furious Professor McGonagall, anger radiating off her. Currently, she was laying into the three other students in her office. Harry, Hermione, and Neville. Harry and Hermione looked upset but Neville was absolutely terrified. It made both boys wonder why he had been outside his dorm this late in the first place.

"More?" Professor McGonagall spat out, turning her glace at Ichigo and Uryuu. "Where did you find these two Filch?"

"The fifth floor," Filch answered gleefully. "They thought they had escaped but I caught them in the end. It's always much more fun when they run."

"Thank you Filch," responded the Professor. "Keep a look out for more students out of bed. I don't want any getting away."

The caretaker nodded before retreating, leaving the students with the Professor. With him gone, she turned her full attention to Ichigo and Uryuu. "Well?"

Ichigo was about to say something when Uryuu beat him to it. "It's my fault Professor. We have a small rivalry you see and we thought that the best way to settle it would be with a duel. We didn't want to be discovered so we had to wait till late at night."

Ichigo kept his emotions from showing, his mind extremely confused by Uryuu actions. He created that story so quickly and it only manipulated small facts of truth that the teachers already knew. The teachers had, after all, seen Uryuu competing with him in class, most of all Flitwick. There wasn't even any hesitation in his answer. How long had he prepared that excuse for?

Professor McGonagall seemed to buy it though. "Disgraceful," she said to them. "If you need to solve petty rivalries, do it in lessons. What would you have done if one of you had been injured? Could you have got them to the Hospital Wing in time?"

Uryuu simply looked at his feet, keeping up his act. Ichigo felt his expression growing more morbid as she spoke, acting like he had been part of it as well. The Professor believed to have got her point through as she turned back to the Gryffindors.

"And you three. With Mr Malfoy, that makes six students out of bed in one night."

"Seven," Ichigo mentally said. "She missed Kugo."

"Frankly I'm disgusted," she continued. "I've never heard of such a thing happening before in all my years at Hogwarts. Though with Mr Kurosaki here, I shouldn't be surprised. He is known for being good at breaking records, so you being here actually doesn't surprise me as much as the others."

It looked like she was still angry at his and Tatsuki actions. Ichigo could have sworn she had gotten over it. Then again, they did still get the odd detention when tensions were high and they just couldn't resist punching the idiot who had been unlucky enough to have annoyed them.

"And you Miss Granger. I expected better from you. I believed you to have more sense than this. Mr Potter. I was under the impression Gryffindor meant something to you? Am I wrong? And Mr Ishida…" She just shook her head as she looked at him. "You are the last person I would expect to see out here this late. All five of you will be given detention with Mr Malfoy. Don't look at me like that Mr Longbottom. Nothing gives you the right to walk around these hallways late at night, even with the best of intentions. Especially not these days. Do you ever think that it could be dangerous?"

"Of course," Ichigo thought as he watched the Professor continue her rant. "What else would anyone call fighting Kugo?"

"Not only that," the Professor continued, "But each of you will lose fifty points each." This was met with a lot of protest from the Gryffindors.

"Professor please -"

"You can't -"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do Potter," Professor McGonagall said angrily. "Now I want you all back to your dorms now. If I catch you out of bed again, the consequences will be far greater than this time."

Despite the points lost, Ichigo couldn't help but feel relieve as he was escorted back. Professor Sprout had been angry but at the same time, accepting of it. It was like she assumed that students would sneak out at night. She had said herself that he wasn't the first Hufflepuff to get caught but expected better from him. Ichigo was actually lost when he tried to work out whether she was disappointed in him for being out or disappointed in him for being caught.

The worst thing was that he knew his friends were going to be a lot worse, especially Tatsuki. She would be furious that he had not only been sneaking out, but that he didn't invite her to come with him. Chad would be harder to tell. He was a hard guy to read so he wasn't sure how he would respond. The one question rattling around his head though was about Uryuu. How had he known about where he was? He said he could sense him but how? And what did he mean by prior knowledge. Who had taught him about Fullbring? Leaving the matter alone for now, he let himself fall into a deep sleep. He wanted to get a few hours peace, needing the rest after the night's activities. He wasn't looking forward to the morning though.

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So what do you guy think of chapter 12. Fullbring training is getting near the peak and Uryuu seems to be onto the mystery as well. Next chapter we should see the trip to the forbidden forest. I have a good plan for them while they are in there. Just a bit longer and we reach the trip to the third floor corridor. Look forward to it.

As usual, tell me what you think. Ask your questions and review with your ratings. I answer all questions though say if you don't want too many details in your answers. I have a tendency to lose track when I'm answering and normally like to go into detail if it is an idea I like and have developed.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	13. Into the Forest

Like I promised, Chapter 13 is here. The chapters seem to be slowly getting longer as I progress. Just a few more chapters hopefully and we reach book 2. Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**13 - Into the Forest**

"You did what!" shouted Tatsuki, her eyes filled with rage. Chad stood beside her, disappointment barely showing on his expressionless face.

Ichigo had been regretting having to explain what he had been doing to Chad and Tatsuki. He knew that he had to keep what he and Kugo were doing a secret but thinking up a reasonable excuse to use was harder than he thought it would be. Would they even believe what he said? Thinking back, it was lucky that he remembered the excuse Uryuu's came up with at the time. It wouldn't be good to tell them one thing and have it brought into question by the teachers. That could end badly.

"Look-" Ichigo tried to explain before he was rudely interrupted.

"You went to duel that stuck up Raven," Tatsuki said with a glare. "Without saying a word. Do you want to know what I think?"

Ichigo wanted to shake his head but he knew that that would make things worse. Tatsuki took his silence as a sign to continue.

"Why didn't you invite us?" she demanded, surprising Ichigo. He had expected her to ask this but not for it to have been her main problem. He thought she would have been more upset by the fact he kept it a secret. It made her feel like he didn't trust her. Turning to Chad, he could see now why he looked so disappointed. He thought that Ichigo didn't trust him enough as well since he didn't let him in on it, despite the faith Chad had in him. If anything, it actually made things worse since Ichigo already felt guilty enough.

"Well?"

Ichigo started to say something but stopped, realising he could say nothing that he could use to explain why, or at least nothing that wouldn't give away what he had been doing. It was times like this that he really hatred the secrecy his dad had made him promise. He doubted he would get a chance to even see Kugo anytime soon and he still had to deal with Uryuu knowing his secret. Someone else to talk to would have helped but he just couldn't say it. He just couldn't.

Unfortunately for him, Tatsuki took his silence the wrong way and stormed off. Ichigo made to go after her but before he could, Chad stepped in front of him. "Leave her."

"But-"

"She needs to cool off," Chad said, cutting him off. "She'll come around."

"I see." Even hearing that, Ichigo could feel the guilt increasing. She shouldn't need to calm down. She had a right to be angry. He was keeping more secrets from her again, just like before with the Wizarding World. "What about you Chad?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Ichigo said, "How are you dealing with this. I can see you don't like it either."

"I wish you had told us," Chad said simply. "I am upset that you didn't but I can't hold it against you either. Even friends keep secrets and, while I would have liked to have helped, sometimes things need to be done alone." Turning round, Chad scanned the room before whispering the next part quietly. "Between you and me, I can see why you wouldn't tell us if you didn't want us involved. You would never have heard the end of it from Tatsuki."

"Thanks Chad," Ichigo said, glad that his friends weren't too mad.

Ichigo was lucky compared to the other six. Things were actually much better for him than the others that were caught. While the rest of Hufflepuff was upset with the loss of points, they didn't blame him too much. This was the house of the loyal and they looked after their own. House points were a second priority for them. Ichigo also thought a few of them had been close to being caught themselves a few times if the looks they had was anything to go by. No one ever suspected the Hufflepuffs of doing anything like that, even the Hufflepuffs themselves.

Uryuu was mostly ignored for the sudden lose but that didn't seem to bother him. He had been a loner from the start so the silent treatment was no difference than normal. He knew that they would forget after the exams anyway. Ravenclaws were expected to have an O in every exam so as long as you meet the standard, you were forgiven for any faults of your making during the year. Knowledge was prided the most to them.

The Slytherin house barely touched Malfoy. His father had so much power that the other students didn't dare make any moves against him, even in his weakened state. They weren't against the odd harsh comment here and there but they knew better than to launch an attack on him. It didn't matter what family they were from or how cunning they were. The Malfoys were stronger.

Harry, Hermione, and Neville got the worst of it though. Harry had gone from the Quidditch superstar seeker to the outcast of the lions. His house barely interacted with him and the others anymore, something Neville had taken much harder than the others. He already had enough problems with making friends. It had gotten so bad that Hermione had even stopped drawing attention to herself in class, something that showed how much the situation had distressed her if she actually stopped showcasing her knowledge to the others.

The other houses were varied on the Gryffindors. The Slytherins used the chance to applaud Harry, thanking him for taking away their opposition singlehandedly. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were divided on the issue. They had lost points themselves so it wasn't only Gryffindor that had given Slytherin the opportunity to take the lead, but at the same time, they had learned from the odd rumour that it was the actions of the Gryffindors that had led to the increased patrols of Filch. If they had been more subtle then Ichigo and Uryuu may have not been discovered. That was reason enough to turn against them at least but not enough to scorn them. Some people swore that Snape had let slip the rumour and, while he denied it, the smirk on his face said otherwise.

As the exams drew closer, Ichigo, Chad and Tatsuki threw themselves into their studies, the previous tension gone between the three. Tatsuki would still give Ichigo the odd glare here and there but they had been friends too long to let this come between them. Their sessions grew later and later as the days passed, Tatsuki leading the others with Transfiguration while Chad handled the Herbology side. Out of all of them, only Ichigo seemed to be able to teach them History of Magic though even he had his limit with the amount of goblin rebellions they had to learn. They pitted the fools who had stayed to learn from Professor Binns. They had to learn from a voice that put the class to sleep. That wasn't even the end of even. Potions and their ingredients were needed to be remembered along with spells for practical sessions. The knowledge that students could be held back if they failed helped serve as a motivator for their sessions, even though they knew it wouldn't come to that.

It was a week before the exams that Ichigo finally got the note about his detention. For some reason, Professor McGonagall wanted him and the others to meet at the Entrance Hall at eleven o'clock. It made him wonder what detention would take place so late but then again, it was properly a lesson in disguise. If you want to stay up late, then you can. That's what they were saying it seemed.

So that night, Ichigo quickly bid farewell to his friends before heading down to the Entrance Hall. He was the earliest of the six, followed quickly by Uryuu and Malfoy before Filch appeared. A few minutes later, the three Gryffindors appeared. With them all their, Filch led them outside, lighting a lamp as he went.

"I'll bet you'll think twice about breaking a school room again, won't you, eh?" he spoke, leering at them. "Oh yes. Hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out. You would have been hung by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days. That would stop you lot. I still keep the chains in my office. Well oiled, just in case. You never know…"

He lead them along the grounds, threatening them with worse than they were getting if they dared run. Ichigo had no idea what kind of punishment took place outside except for helping out in the greenhouses. Maybe they were going there.

That idea was crushed as they passed them, heading further into the grounds. They were slowly getting closer and closer to Hagrid's. And the forest. Ichigo could see Neville shaking as they drew nearer.

The grounds were pitch black as they got nearer to Hagrid's. The lights of Hogwarts were too dim now to be seen and the moon in the sky was covered by dark clouds, barely any light managing to slip through. The only light nearby apart from Filch was the small one coming from the open window of Hagrid's tiny hut. As they drew nearer, they heard a familiar voice shout towards them.

"Is that you Filch? Hurry up. I wanna get started."

Relief could be seen on Harry's face till Filch stepped in to crush it.

"I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourselves with that oaf. Well think again boy." He waved a hand to the Forbidden Forest before continuing. "You see that? That's where you're going. The Forest, and I wish you luck. You'll need it in there. I doubt you'll come back in one piece."

Neville was shaking a lot more now while Malfoy had frozen. "The Forest?" the pale haired boy asked. The confidence he usually had was gone now, replaced by fear. The creatures in there wouldn't care about who his father was. If anything, it could make things worse. The Malfoys had never been supporters of equal rights for all. "We can't go in there," he continued to protest. "I've heard there are all sorts of vile creatures in there. Werewolves even."

"You should have thought about that before you decided to break the rules," sneered Filch, doing a very good impression of Snape's usual tone. "You brats are all the same. Because you have magic, you think you're all too good to listen to little old Filch. Look where that got you now."

Before he could intimidate the boy more, Hagrid strode up, a crossbow in his arms and his dog, Fang, by his side. A quiver was hung over his shoulder filled with arrows, all of them ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. "About time," the giant man said. "I've been waiting almost half an hour for you lot. Alright Harry, Hermione?

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them Hagrid," said Filch coldly. "They're here to be punished after all."

"Is that why you're late?" asked Hagrid, a frown on his face. "You've been lecturing them? It's not your place to do that Filch. You've done your job and now I'll do mine."

"I'll be back at dawn for their remains Hagrid," the caretaker said, glaring nastily at the six before storming off. They watched him disappear for a moment till he was nothing more than a dot of light in the distance. With him gone, Malfoy turned towards Hagrid.

"I'm not going in there," demanded Malfoy, a touch of panic in his tone.

"You are if you want to stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid said angrily to the boy. "You've done wrong and now it's time to pay for it."

"But this is servant stuff. It's not for students to do. I thought we'd be writing lines or something. If my father knew-"

"If you're father knew, he would have warned you to obey the rules," Hagrid growled. "How does writing lines help you learn? You'll do something useful or you're out. If that's what your father wants, feel free to go back up to the castle and pack. I'm sure he'll be perfectly understanding."

Malfoy dropped his gaze but he was still furious. Seeing the problem was solved for now, Hagrid turned back to the others.

"Right then," he said seriously. "Now I want you all to listen carefully. It's dangerous in there, especially with what we're going to do tonight. I don't want anyone taking any risks so you need to be with me or Fang at all times if possible. Now come over here for a minute."

He led them over to the forest's edge and pointed towards a path. The black trees filled the area around the path but what drew their attention was the glimmer of light on the ground. Hagrid leaned down to the ground and pointed towards the light. The others did the same and, now that they were closer, they could see it was actually some kind of liquid, silvery blue in colour.

"That's unicorn blood," said Hagrid gravely. "There's a unicorn in there somewhere that's been hurt by something. This is the second one this week and it didn't start recently either. Our job is to find the poor creature and, if necessary, put it out of its misery."

"And what if the creature in there finds us?" said Uryuu, speaking for the first time. "Surely a creature that can take down a unicorn is going to be dangerous."

"Like I said. Stick with me and Fang. Keep to the path as well. There isn't anything in this forest that will harm you while you'll with us and we won't be going far enough in to reach the most dangerous creatures. Is that clear."

Six heads nodded.

"Good. Now we're going to split into two teams for now. Better to follow the path from two sides since the blood shows the Unicorn was staggering a lot. We don't want to miss it. If the other team gets in trouble, send up red sparks and I'll be right there."

"I want Fang," said Malfoy, his gaze directed towards the long teeth of the dog.

"Alright then," said Hagrid as he indicated to Fang to follow Malfoy. "But I warn you, he's a coward. Hermione and Neville can go with you while Ichigo and Uryuu can come with me and Harry." Hagrid mouthed sorry to Hermione before turning to the forest. "Be careful now. Let's go."

The forest was blank and silent. The group stuck together to start until they split into their teams as they reached a fork in the path. Hagrid went left with his team while Malfoy went right with the others.

Silence filled the air as they walked, their eyes glancing around to get a glimpse of the silvery blood. They almost lost the trail a few times till they saw a glimmer nearby and got back on track. A few times, Uryuu froze for a second, his gaze aimed deeper into the forest before he snapped out of it. Whatever he was doing though, it was creeping Ichigo out. Uryuu was started to really look worried. "Could a werewolf be killing the unicorns Hagrid?" Harry asked, breaking the silence.

"Not fast enough," said Hagrid. "One of the reasons I said the creature was dangerous was because it was able to catch a unicorn. Not much can do something like that. Unicorns are powerful magical creatures, so powerful that I've never seen one hurt before. A werewolf could maybe get one or two if they were in a pack but not this close to each other. It's something else, I'm sure of it."

The trail continued to lead them on, the path winding around tree after tree. The bloody trail led them onwards, Hagrid growing concerned with every passing second.

"That's odd," he muttered as he examined the new patch of blood. "There's a lot more than there was at the previous spot. What kind of creature – GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

Hagrid pulled the three back and shoved them to the side, loading his crossbow carefully as he looked into the darkness. The four froze, able to hear their own heartbeats in the endless silence. A crack filled the air, and a rustling was heard nearby. It sounded a lot like a cloak trailing along the ground. They waited a few moments longer before Hagrid gave an all clear.

"I knew it," he murmured. "There's something in here that shouldn't be."

"Then what was it?" asked Ichigo.

"I don't know," said Hagrid grimly. "It wasn't a unicorn, that's for such. I'm not even sure what it is. I shouldn't have allowed you lot of accompany me tonight. It's much too dangerous."

"We're not abandoning you Hagrid," said Harry confidently.

"I know. We can't leave either till we done what we came to do. Still, we need to be much more careful from now on. Let's just hope the others are doing fine without me."

Their pace slowed for a while, all of them listening for the slightest movement. Then, in the clearing ahead of them, something moved.

"Who's there," Hagrid shouted over to the movement. "Come out now. I'm armed."

What approached them was neither a man nor a beast. Instead, it seemed to be a mixture of both. While the top half of the creature was a man, the bottom half was a horse. He had short red hair and a short red beard. He even had a red tail. The three students' jaws dropped from the sight of the creature. This was a first for them to see something like this.

"Oh, it's just you Ronan," said Hagrid in relief as he walked towards the new arrival. "How are you?"

"Good evening to you Hagrid," Ronan responded, shaking the man's hand as he did so. His voice was deep yet had a sorrowful undertone to it. "Were you going to shot me?"

"Sorry about that," said Hagrid sheepishly. "You can't be too careful at the moment, especially with what's happening in the Forest. This is Harry Potter by the way. The others are Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryuu Ishida. And you three, this guy here is Ronan. He's a centaur."

"We noticed," replied Uryuu.

"Good evening," said Ronan as he observed the three kids in front of him. "Students are you? Do you learn much at that school of yours?"

"Enough," stated Uryuu as he stared up at the centaur. He wasn't the only one since Ronan seemed extremely interested in him and Ichigo.

"I see," said Ronan, his eyes not leaving the two boys. Finally breaking eye contact, he looked up to the sky with a sigh. "Mars is bright tonight."

"Yeah," said Hagrid, looking up as well. "Listen, it's a good thing we ran into you Ronan. There's a unicorn that's been hurt out here somewhere. You seen it?"

Ronan didn't answer for a moment, still staring up at the sky. "It is always the innocent that are the first to suffer," he said finally, sighing as he looked down from the stars. "So it has been for ages past, and so it is now. The cycle will continue forever onwards until someone finally ends it."

"Yeah," said Hagrid puzzled. "But have you seen anything? Anything usual?"

"Mars is bright tonight," came the response. "Unusually bright."

"Anything nearer to home," said Hagrid impatiently. "Have you seen anything in the Forest? Anything that shouldn't be here?"

"The Forest hides many secrets," said Ronan, looking back up to the stars again. "Even you do not know them all Hagrid."

"Hagrid." A second centaur appeared from the forest, this one black haired and bodied, with a much wilder look than Ronan. A bow was attached to its back with arrows along with it.

"Ah," said Hagrid as he greeted the other centaur. "Good to see you Bane."

"And you too Hagrid," said Bane. "I hope you are keeping well."

"Well enough. Look, we're looking for a unicorn in here. Have you seen anything odd recently?"

Bane joined Ronan and looked to the sky. "Mars is bright tonight." From that point, Ichigo could swear they were just being extremely difficult. There was even a glint in their eyes when Hagrid wasn't looking, showing that they were enjoying confusing him.

"We've heard," muttered Hagrid. "Well, if you hear something, let me know." Hagrid departed from the two centaurs, leading the three students back along the path.

"Never try and get a straight answer from a centaur," said Hagrid irritably. "Ruddy stargazers. Aren't interesting in anything closer than the moon."

"How many of them live here?" Ichigo asked.

"A fair few," responded Hagrid. "Ministry once tried to get rid of them but they just couldn't find them. They're awfully hard to find. Keep to themselves mostly but they turn up when they know I want a word. Still, they're strange creatures. Very wise, there's no doubt about that. They actually seemed to see things in those stars. How else would they know so much? They just don't translate what they see much. Still, I never heard them talk about a cycle before. That's unusual, even for them."

"Was that a centaur earlier?" asked Harry.

"It can't have been," said Uryuu, interrupting Hagrid before he could speak. "Those weren't hooves that we heard."

"Uryuu's right," continued Hagrid. "Whatever that was, it was probably the thing that's been killing the unicorns. I've never heard of anything like it in the Forest before.

They continued along their path into the Forest, slowly getting deeper and deeper. It felt like something was watching them and Ichigo had to restrain himself from grapping his cross. He didn't feel like a crossbow would be enough. Just as they reached a bend, he noticed a light in the sky nearby.

"Hagrid," he said, pointing towards it. "Red sparks."

"I see it," shouted Hagrid, already running. "You three stay here. Don't move. I'll be back for you."

Seconds turned to minutes as they waited, the only sounds they could hear were the rustling of leaves nearby. Harry looked worried for the others while Uryuu kept glancing around, as if looking for something. At one point, Ichigo thought he saw a pair of eyes watching them from the bushes but it vanished the moment he looked towards it. Eventually, a loud crunching noise was heard as Hagrid reappeared with the others. He looked absolutely furious.

"This idiot here," he said, pointing at Malfoy, "Thought it would be funny to scare Neville. Thanks to him, we'll be lucky to find anything now. We're changing groups. Neville with me and Harry with Malfoy."

Hagrid was about to say more when a rustling could be heard nearby. He brought his crossbow back up in preparation but lowered it when he saw who had reappeared. "Bane?"

"Hagrid," greeted the centaur. "The stars have warned me that you may need an extra pair of hands tonight."

"I see," said Hagrid happily. "That should let us finish faster. Can you take -"

"I'll take the orange haired boy and the one with glasses that spoke to Ronan."

"You're sure? Okay then. Ichigo and Uryuu, you're with Bane. Hermione and Neville can come with me, and Malfoy and Harry can go with Fang. Is that okay with everyone?" Malfoy seemed to want to be with the centaur but didn't try and overstep his boundaries. He was already on thin ice with Hagrid as it was.

"Good them," said Hagrid as he led his group away. "Remember. Red sparks if you're in trouble."

The groups separated and Ichigo and Uryuu found themselves following Bane closely. The centaur seemed to be following the tracks much easier than they had been and even found some trails that they would have missed.

"So," Bane said, after a few minutes of silence. "You are them."

Ichigo and Uryuu both froze, looking up at the centaur ahead of them.

"You are smaller than I thought but then, you are still younglings. It is hard to judge how much you will grow as the time draws nearer."

"What are you talking about," asked Ichigo hesitantly.

"You don't know yet," said Bane cryptically. "But you will. I wish you all the luck, I really do. I just don't hold out much faith at the moment. You aren't the first."

The two had no response to his words. They returned to silence until they finally seemed to be drawing near to the trail's end. Bane led the two over to a large clearing where a small pool of blood was resting. In the centre laid a unicorn, already dead.

"Is that…"

Bane slowly approached the fallen creature, bending down to examine the body.

"No," said Bane, turning towards Ichigo. "The blood around it is too dry compared to the previous signs we have seen. This must have been an older kill of whatever creature is down here. I would say this poor creature has been dead for a while now."

"What about the blood leading here?" asked Uryuu. "That looked new."

"It is…" Bane froze as he looked back along where they had come from. "That blood was fresh, newly added. The path you were following came from further away. So if the unicorn didn't come from this clearing but the trail leads here, then it can only mean –"

A loud roar filled the sky. Bane spun round and pulled his bow from his back, loading an arrow as he turned. It barely took a second but it was one second too long. The moment he had finished turning to face the noise, a palm flung at him and threw him across the clearing. He landed on his side and didn't get back up, his bow discarded by his body.

"Bane," Ichigo called over to the fallen centaur.

"Snap out of it Kurosaki," shouted Uryuu, keeping his eye on the attacker that had appeared out of nowhere. "He's alright. He's just out for the count for now."

Trusting Uryuu for now, Ichigo turned back towards the creature that had attacked Bane. He was a tall creature with a distinct humanoid shape. A dorsal fin was attacked to its back and dark grey stripes covered the body, almost resembling fish scales. On its face was a white fish like mask, large teeth showing.

"What is it?" said Ichigo, keeping an eye on the creature.  
"It's a Hollow," answer Uryuu. "Did your dad not tell you anything about them?"

"No," Ichigo muttered. "I'm guessing it's dangerous."

Uryuu watched the Hollow for a moment before responding. "Possibly. It may be weaker than it looks but nothing a first year knows would be able to harm it. At least, not a normal first year."

"I got it," said Ichigo as he gathered energy around his cross. It expanded outwards and turned into its usual tsuba shape. "Leave it to me."

The Hollow didn't want to wait for Ichigo to make the first move and instead charged them, letting out a loud roar as it approached. It swiped at Ichigo and Uryuu causing the two to dodge, Ichigo responding as he moved with a flick of his wrist. Following his command, the tsuba flew upwards towards the Hollow, who barely managed to avoid the strike. It didn't expect it when Ichigo brought the tsuba straight back down, wrapping around the Hollow before it could escape.

"How do we get rid of it?" asked Ichigo, turning to Uryuu while the Hollow struggled against its bonds.

"The mask," explained Uryuu. "Destroy the mask and the Hollow is destroyed."

Their talk was interrupted as the Hollow growled angrily. It smashed apart the energy surrounding it and lunged towards them. Luckily, Ichigo had already regained the tsuba and didn't have to wait to restore it. He threw himself back into the fight and jumped up to the Hollow as he reached it.

Before it could respond to his actions, he threw the tsuba with as much strength as he could summon. The tsuba flew straight into the mask and pushed the Hollow back. The attack itself detonated on impact and the energy hit the Hollow, leaving a smoky haze behind around where it had struck. Ichigo allowed his Fullbring to reform, looking for movement carefully.

He was right to do so as he would have been caught off guard by the Hollow as it used the smoke as cover. Ichigo struck up as he dodged, the attack smacking the mask once again.

The Hollow backed off slightly, more cautious than before. A large crack was visible down the left side of the mask and it seemed to have widened from that latest blow. Ichigo realised this and so did the Hollow. It couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

As if caught by a burst of inspiration, the Hollow changed targets and lunged towards Uryuu, surprising them both. Before either could do anything, the Hollow had grabbed Uryuu and pinned him to the ground. It opened its large mouth and bent down towards the boy, preparing to devour him.

A soft sound was heard by Uryuu as a blue light flew through the air. The energy hit the Hollow dead on the mask's crack and shattered it, the Hollow disintegrating as its mask disappeared. Uryuu looked up to the returning object to see it was the tsuba Ichigo had been throwing.

"You okay?"

Uryuu nodded his head as he pulled himself up. 'How disgraceful,' he thought as he looked at where the Hollow had been. 'Caught and captured by a surprise attack. What would they others think if they heard such a thing?'

He looked towards Ichigo, noticing the Fullbring had disappeared. The boy in question was checking up on the fallen centaur and trying to move him to a more comfortable position. He didn't show it but he was impressed. Ichigo had acted calmly and dispatched the Hollow without too much problem. Maybe he had always been underestimating him.

A droplet of water hit him as he turned his gaze upwards, rain starting to fall heavily around them.

"Great," he muttered. "Can things get any worse?"

"So I see Fishbone D failed," came a loud voice. Uryuu and Ichigo froze as they turned to the sound, seeing a larger Hollow appearing.

It reminded them of a hamster slightly with all the fur around his body. Its hands and feet were more bird like though and a small tentacle like limb hung above its head. The tentacle extended down to a lure of some kind, quiet a lot like an anglerfish. A large mask covered its face like the previous Hollow. The mask was larger though and the teeth more prominent. It gave them a large smile as it spoke, not taking its eyes off them.

"Well then," it said, licking its lips hungrily. "How about I have a shot."

* * *

And there we have it. Chapter 13. They're in the forest now and it seems Voldemort isn't the only thing in there. With the appearance of this new Hollow, how will things play out. And will they be able to deal with it before the others find them?

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	14. Past Battles

First up. I apologise for the late chapter. About a day after releasing the last one, I caught a cold. That may not normally be that bad but for me, a cold led to not just a simple runny nose but also an eye infection and, on one day, a temporary strength lose. Is that normal for a cold? Anyway, I won't delay you any longer with my ramblings. Chapter 14. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**14 - Past Battles**

The air was heavy as the three beings faced each other, the rain falling faster than before. Uryuu looked from side to side for anything they could give them an advantage.

'This is bad,' he thought. 'Ichigo may not have noticed but this Hollow is on a whole other level compared to that previous one.'

It was nothing but pure luck that Ichigo had decided to make no sudden movements. He was shaking quite a lot though. Was he afraid? Could he sense the Hollow's presence this time?

"Who are you," said Uryuu, calling over to the Hollow.

"Me?" the Hollow answered with a loud laugh. "I don't see why that matters. My name is irrelevant. You'll be devoured soon enough, though I do remember some manners. I go by the name of Grand Fisher."

'Grand Fisher,' thought Uryuu calculatedly. "He called the previous Hollow Fishbone D. The name matched some of the appearances of the Hollow so if that is the case, that thing on his head may not just be for show.'

"I am surprised you were strong enough to kill Fishbone D," Grand Fisher continued, looking towards Ichigo. "Here I was under the impression that you were defenceless. It won't make any difference though so I would just surrender now. It will be much less painful for you."

Ichigo didn't respond. Instead, the shaking increased, his expression unable to be seen.

"That's an actually lure isn't it," said Uryuu, bring the Hollow's attention back to him.

"Well, well, well," said Grand Fisher in amusement. "Looks like the Quincy is smarter than he looks. Though not smart enough to avoid my trap."

"What does it do? No, don't answer that. A better question is why didn't you attack us before?" Uryuu asked, buying himself time to think up a plan. "We would have been sitting ducks earlier on if you had attacked by surprise."

Grand Fisher didn't reply, instead looking towards the centaur. Uryuu saw the glance though.

"You couldn't could you," said Uryuu in realisation. "We don't dare use our abilities in front of them if we can and you Hollows do the same. You were afraid that one of them would escape and let others know of your presence. If they knew of your existence, they would try to hunt you down or enslave you."

"Ha," Grand Fisher replied, letting out a booming laugh. "Hahahahaha! You think that's the reason? Because we Hollow fear that we would be killed by lower beings? You have so much to learn. You don't understand how we came into being do you? Then again, what else would I expect from a Quincy." He spat out the word, disgust in his voice.

"What…" Uryuu stared in shock at the creature. It was afraid of wizards learning of it because of its origins. The other Quincy had never bothered explaining to him on how a Hollow was formed. It was their job to exterminate it and nothing more. The Soul Reapers were different from what he had heard. They tried to learn more about the Hollows and whenever they faced them, they was shame hidden in their faces. This was one of the many reasons the Quincy had always looked at Soul Reapers in disgust for. They looked at the Hollows as if they were ashamed to do such a noble task and kill the beasts. Did the Soul Reapers know something they didn't? Or did the Quincy hide the knowledge and ignore it? Which was right?

"Well then," said Grand Fisher. "I believe I talked enough. Go ahead and struggle if you want. It will end –"

"Hey," said Ichigo suddenly, the attention of the others drawn to him instantly.

"So the boy can speak," spoke Grand Fisher mockingly. "What's the matter with you anyway? Are you scared?"

"You said your name is Grand Fisher," Ichigo said, ignoring the comments of the Hollow. "Two years ago, you appeared at my home town."

"Did I?" said Grand Fisher. "It's hard to remember things sometimes. Though I did think you looked familiar. And with such tasty energy, how did you survive? I'm sure I would have devoured you on the spot."

"17th Of June," Ichigo continued on, talking as if he was confirming something for himself, "You killed a woman." The shaking had increased dramatically and Ichigo's Fullbring had begun to form.

"Really? Like I said, I don't remember –"

"Masaki Kurosaki," said Ichigo, cutting Grand Fisher off. "Her name was Masaki Kurosaki. She was my mother, and you killed her." The last part was almost screamed at the Hollow before Ichigo shot straight towards the Hollow, his face showing nothing but pure rage.

"ICHIGO! WAIT!" Uryuu screamed towards the orange haired boy only for his voice to fall on death ears.

If the Hollow could look surprised, this one was doing a good job at it. Before it could even react, Ichigo had gotten right up to it and thrown his Fullbring straight at it. The attack collided straight with it and exploded on impact, the energy washing over the Hollow.

Ichigo however didn't even wait to see if it was effective of not. The moment the Fullbring had reformed, he had thrown it back in, again and again and again. Uryuu watched his actions from a distance, worried.

'He's wasting too much energy like that,' he thought as he saw yet another blast appear. 'He already used up some of his energy in the previous battle and detonating his Fullbring like that seems to use up a lot of energy from what I can sense. If he's not careful, he's going to run out or worse.'

Ichigo finally seemed to stop as he panted for breath, the effects of launching so many blasts kicking in. The smoke hid whatever had happened from view as he tried to stare inside.

"Did I get him?"

"Not quite, no." Ichigo froze as the smoke cleared, revealing a large amount of fur shielding the Hollow. "If that's the best you can do, I'm afraid this won't be much fun. I barely felt anything."

Instead of letting the fear get to him, Ichigo just grabbed hold of the anger inside him and threw the tsuba in his hands, the Hollow just leaning to the side slightly to avoid it.

"Pathetic," Grand Fisher called out to him. "You're too predictable. I saw your previous fight so I know to do this." Grand Fisher jumped straight up and dodged the attack that flew past him on the return trip.

Ichigo didn't seem to give up though. With another flick of his wrist, the Fullbring launched back round for another attack only to be dodged again and again.

"Is this really all you have?" mocked the Hollow. "I was hoping for better."

Ichigo didn't react for a moment, instead letting the tsuba finally fly back to his hand. "You're the one that made the mistake here."

"What?" Noticing too late, the Hollow realised that the chain of the Fullbring had looped round all the trees nearby.

"You should have paid more attention," said Ichigo as the chain grew brighter. Ichigo pulled on the chain as it exploded, the force cutting through the wood enough to weaken the trees. Grand Fisher looked up only to see the mass amount of wood falling straight at him.

'Got him,' thought Ichigo only for his fears to grow as he saw the sight in front of him. As the trees were about to collide with Grand Fisher, the Hollow simply stood there and let its fur shoot out of its body. They fur went off in all directions and wrapped around the trunks of the trees. Within a second, all the trees were held in place as the Hollow stood there, glaring at him.

"Cute," the Hollow said angrily. "You actually managed to piss me off with that little stunt. I guess you're not as dumb as I took you for. Or maybe you are since you actually made me get a bit more serious."

Ichigo stood there frozen, shocked from the sight. The Hollow had caught every one of the trees with ease with nothing but fur. He had seen that it was dense but this was ridiculous.

He broke out of his shock as he saw the fur on the Hollow move once more. This time though, the fur wasn't used to defend. With a swift motion, one of the trees was sent flying straight at Ichigo. Green lights flickered around his feet as he used Bringer Light to fling himself upwards. It was only in the air did he noticed the Hollow was already throwing the rest of the trees.

As a second tree was about to collide with Ichigo, he suddenly flew up, more green light flickering around his feet. Uryuu meanwhile was watching in amazement and envy.

'He only started Fullbring training recently yet he can already before Bringer Light in succession? It's even harder to manipulate the air and to actually use it to accelerate you is another thing entirely. How did he learn to do it so fast?"

The Hollow though seemed to have prepared for this action and had jumped towards him as the last tree had been launched. The Hollow's fur extended straight at Ichigo as he fell down to one of the trees still in the air. Moving quickly, he kicked off the tree with Bringer Light again and accelerated straight back down to the ground, out of the Hollow's range.

No sooner had he reached the ground had he had to dodge straight away, the last tree colliding with his previous position. Unfortunately, this brought him closer to the descending Hollow, the Hollow in question diving straight towards him. It landed straight by Ichigo and before he could escape, the fur had surrounding the two in a cocoon.

"Nowhere to run now," Grand Fisher spoke hungrily. "That little trick of yours would have been effective on a lesser Hollow but I've seen it plenty of times before. No matter how fast that technique allows you to move, it is always in a linear path. It doesn't let you escape from somewhere that has no route out from."

Ichigo stared the Hollow down before he begun to swing his Fullbring. The movement was stopped immediately as he felt something pierce his chest. Looking down, he saw the claws from the Hollow's right hand stabbed straight into his chest.

Ichigo screamed as the pain hit him, the Fullbring breaking with his loss of focus. Kugo's training had been rough but they had never prepared him for maintaining his Fullbring during immense amounts of pain like this. He collapsed to the ground, his arms the only things keeping him from colliding face first with the forest floor.

"I see," said Grand Fisher as the lure on his head began to move. Now that it was closer, Ichigo could see that the lure resembled a skull like totem. "So I did kill your mother. I remember her now. She was such a tasty little soul."

The Hollow raised its left hand up to the lure and covered it. The hand remained there for a moment before it was removed, revealing the lure within. The problem was that it wasn't the same as before. In front of Ichigo's eyes was his own mother.

"What…" Ichigo couldn't believe what he was seeing. Was this real? No, it couldn't be. His mother was dead. Yet, why was this thing in front of him her exact duplicate.

"With my right hand," stated the Hollow, "I can peer deep into my opponent's memories. I can find their deepest fears, their greatest hopes, and their most guarded secrets. Everyone has someone that they would dare not harm, be it a lover, a friend, a family member, or a respected senior. There are no exceptions. And now with this information, my left hand changes my lure to that form. Go ahead and attack me if you want, if you don't care about harming your own mother in the process." The Hollow let out a loud laugh at that possibility, knowing Ichigo wouldn't attack.

'She's not real,' stated Ichigo in his mind as he stared down the duplicate. 'She's nothing but a remnant. My mother is already dead.' Clearing his mind, Ichigo pulled up what strength he could and reformed the Fullbring, struggling to his feet. It was sent flying straight at the Hollow and was about to smash straight through the lure when -

"Ichigo," said the lure, the voice an exact replica of Ichigo's mother. "You don't want to harm me do you Ichigo?"

Without realising it, Ichigo's wrist subconsciously flicked at the voice and the attack barely missed the lure. It was too late though to fix things as the tsuba was smashed straight out of the air by one of the Hollow's claws.

Ichigo collapsed back down to his knees, stuck there, waiting for the Hollow to decide his fate. The Hollow stared at him for a moment before approaching. "Well," it said as it got closer. "You lasted a while, I'll give you that. You were better than I was giving you credit for. This is the end for you though."

'What do I do?" thought Ichigo in despair as he was frozen to the spot he had collapsed in. 'I don't have the strength left to move. What was the point of all that training for it to end like this? I haven't killed him yet. I can't die till I've killed him!'

Grand Fisher slowly reached towards Ichigo, its hand getting closer. The lure hovered by it, ensuring Ichigo couldn't attack. He had failed before because of the lure and he would fail again if he tried to do anything. Its hand was about to grab Ichigo when -

Searing pain filled the Hollow as it saw its lure and left arm get sliced off.

"WHO DARES…" Grand Fisher stopped its scream as it saw the one responsible. Off to the side stood Uryuu, pushing his glasses up slightly. He was standing ready for a response, his feet showing signs of being able to move at a moment's notice. He had already moved back from the dome, the green light flickering around his feet showing what he had done.

That wasn't what held Grand Fisher's attention though. In the hands of the Quincy was a long scythe, the handle pure white. The blade was a light grey, blue energy flickering around it as it dissipated.

"I see," said the Hollow as it stepped away from Ichigo. He couldn't cause any problems right now. The dome of fur that had swallowed the two retracted. Grand Fisher knew it would be ineffective here when the attack the boy had just used had sliced straight through his barrier. "So the Quincy has a few tricks up his sleeve does he?"

"I've had enough of you," said Uryuu, his voice strong in his resolve. "I swear on the pride of the Quincy, I'm going to destroy you."

"Interesting." Grand Fisher let out a long laugh as it launched long strains of fur at Uryuu. "Amuse me then. Show me your so called pride."

Uryuu waited patiently, letting the fur get closer. As it was about to strike, Uryuu moved. He charged forward, ducking under the first lot of fur. The second came at his feet only for him to jump straight onto it and run along it. A few other strains of fur moved to strike Uryuu down but to no avail. Uryuu didn't even pause, simply slicing the fur as he passed with his Scythe, the blade's glow getting brighter.

Realising Uryuu was getting too close, Grand Fisher jumped up high, Uryuu following using Bringer Light. As he grew nearer, the Hollow let out a large roar and massive amounts of fur flew out at Uryuu. There was much more fur this time than it had used to trap Ichigo. There was no way the Quincy would break free.

Grand Fisher smirked as it saw the fur swallow up Uryuu only for his expression to morph to shock as a blinding light shot out of the fur, barely missing the Hollow. It collided right behind him against one of the trees, shattering where it hit in an instant. His attention distracted, he almost missed the sight of the boy cutting all the fur around him to pieces as he broke free. The blade of the scythe was dimmer, the light that had been gathering around it before gone except for a few tiny traces.

The two landed facing each other, neither one of them willing to make the first move. 'What was that just then,' thought Grand Fisher as it tried to figure out what its opponent had just done. 'That attack was strong. Much stronger than anything that Kurosaki kid was using. If that attack had actually hit my mask like it almost did, I could really die against this kid.'

Uryuu meanwhile was looking around from the corner of his eyes. That last move had been loud. Too loud. He wasn't sure how far the others were but if they heard it, they would come running. He needed to end things quickly. "Let's end this now," he called over. "We don't have the time to waste. This fight is getting too loud."

"Agreed." Grand Fisher was about to charge when it felt it. The Hollow began turning, but it felt much too slow. Right above and heading for itself was none other than Ichigo Kurosaki. "Impossible," Grand Fisher said, a trace of fear in its voice. It had been sure that Ichigo wouldn't have been able to overcome the trauma he had been exposed too, and even then, he shouldn't have been able to move with his injuries.

Reacting on instinct, he grabbed the boy with its remaining hand and slammed him to the ground. Ichigo hit the ground hard but his Fullbring didn't disappear with the intense pain that occurred as his injuries worsened. Instead, it seemed to drive him move, the flickering form of the Fullbring barely holding being a testament to this. Suddenly, the cross that acted as his Fullbring's focus let out much more energy than before, the tsuba shape disappearing in the mass amount of energy being released. It continued up Ichigo, as if it was devouring his entire right arm.

As the energy stopped growing, Grand Fisher could see it had grown far bigger than before, energy even trailing off the Fullbring and escaping into the air. The tsuba had been completely destroyed in the outbreak of energy. In its place was what could only be described as a mass of nothing as there was no real way to describe a swirling path of energy in constant change.

Uryuu meanwhile had more worrying thoughts as he stared at Ichigo's sudden appearance. 'His Fullbring's going berserk. This is really bad. At this rate, it could completely destroy him.'

The high amounts of swirling energy began intensifying around Ichigo's fist as he struck up, the fist connecting with the Hollow's body. The energy blasted straight through the Hollow, continuing on in its destructive path. Even the hole was it made was messy, the energy slashing around in all directions from the inside as it passed through the body.

Grand Fisher roared in pain before opening its mouth wide. It lunged straight down at the orange haired boy below him, ready to devour him once and for all when it stopped.

Uryuu watched with a mix of relief and confusion. He had known he wouldn't be able to reach in time, even as he ran. Ichigo was lucky. But then, why was Grand Fisher stopping? Ichigo was wide open. Why was it hesitating?"

As he got closer, Uryuu swung his scythe again at Grand Fisher, the Hollow retreating backwards to barely dodge the blow. Uryuu raised the scythe up, preparing to swing in need be.

A rustling noise was heard not too far away. Uryuu and the Hollow froze, realising what it meant.

"It seems our little fight ends in a draw today," said Grand Fisher, hiding its relief. "But you better watch out. I won't forget you two. The Quincy and the Soul Reaper. When I see you two again, I'll kill you both. I won't play around next time."

Without another word, the Hollow launched itself into the air as it fled. Ichigo struggled as he got up and took steps towards where it had fled.

"Ichigo," said Uryuu worriedly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not letting that thing escape," shouted Ichigo in rage, taking another step forward as he did so. "I can't let it escape. Not now."

"You're in no condition to chase after it," said Uryuu. "Leave it. The others will -"

"I don't care about the others," Ichigo shouted at him harshly. "All that matters is that I kill that thing. I need to avenge mum."

'He's not stopping,' thought Uryuu in worry and fear. Ichigo should have been lying on the ground in pain, unable to move. Instead, he was forcing his body to move forward, relying on nothing but pure adrenaline. It was quite scary even that he was even conscious, let alone able to do something like this. But with his Fullbring going berserk, there was a severe risk of death if he didn't stop soon.

Ichigo wasn't going to listen to reason though as he showed no signs of quitting, despite the pain he was feeling. Realising this, Uryuu placed a hand on his shoulder and focused. He slowly released enough energy that he needed and Ichigo felt himself losing consciousness as the sudden presence began drowning him out.

"I need to avenge her," he muttered out as he felt his eyes closing. "It was my fault."

Uryuu stared down at Ichigo below him, his gaze lost for a second. He reached down and checked Ichigo's pulse and let out a sigh of relief as he felt a beat.

"I wasn't too late," he muttered as he turned to the fallen centaur. "But I will be if we don't do something soon." He relaxed and allowed the scythe to disappear, changing back to its original form. In the place of the scythe was a ballpoint pen which Uryuu quickly tucked away carefully.

Before he could do anything else, Hagrid burst into the clearing, Hermione, Neville and Draco following him. Fang appeared straight after and so do Harry after a moment with a new centaur.

"Remarkable," Uryuu heard the centaur mutter. The tone seemed to suggest that the centaur was impressed with what it thought to have happened but the others didn't pick up on it.

Paying a bit more attention to the centaur, Uryuu noticed that this centaur had white blond hair with a palomino body. He also looked much younger than Bane and Ronan.

"URYUU! ICHIGO!" Hagrid charged over to the two as he stopped them, only catching his breath as he finally reached them. He took one look at Ichigo before his face paled. "What happened here?" he asked cautiously as he swirled his head around.

Uryuu followed the gamekeeper's gaze and saw what he meant. He hadn't realised the impact they would have had. There were trees all over the ground, scattered everywhere. One of the trees still standing nearby was extremely damaged, the top of it wobbling heavily. It may just be a wild guess but Uryuu was sure that was the tree his attack had hit. Even the ground had been damaged, particularly where Ichigo had used that last move. It had not only damaged the hollow but even the ground had been torn up from energy flickering off. And then there was Ichigo himself. He was collapsed on the floor, claw wounds in his chest. This would take some fabricating. But creating a lie on the spot that they would be believed? The only reason he had managed to trick professor McGonagall was because he had prepared it in advance.

"I asked you a question," said Hagrid, trying to keep calm. "What happened here?"

"A-a-a MONSTER!" Uryuu stuttered, doing his best to act terrified. The truth was the best, just as long as they didn't dig too deep into it. "It c-came out o-of nowhere. W-w-we were following t-the blood when it j-just…"

"It's alright," said Hagrid as he patted the boy on the back, trying to reassure him. He fell for Uryuu's ploy, believing he was unable to cope with what had happened at the current moment. "It's gone now and we're leaving. I never should have allowed you lot to join me."

"That would be best," Bane said croakily as he slowly lifted himself on the ground. Firenze stood by him and helped lift him back onto his feet. "I know you had a job to do Hagrid but it isn't safe anymore. Ichigo Kurosaki also looks like he is in trouble."

Hagrid nodded and lifted Ichigo up carefully. "Everyone, keep close. We're making a run for it."

"We will escort you to the boundary Hagrid," said Firenze politely.

"Thanks," Hagrid said, not noticing that the centaurs were willing approaching Hogwarts. They normally but a lot of distance between them and the affairs of Wizards and Witches.

Hagrid gathered up the group before they ran through the forest. They didn't stop once as they passed tree after tree and nothing approached them and the noise they made. The centaurs made sure of that. As they reached the boundary, the centaurs said farewell, wishing Ichigo luck. They gave a swift nod to Uryuu before riding off but Uryuu didn't have time to notice. They needed to hurry. Ichigo was running out of time.

* * *

And chapter 14 is finished. What did you guys think? This was my biggest fight so far, lasting most of the chapter. I also finally got to introduce Uryuu's Fullbring. What do you guys think?

Next time, we check up on Ichigo. Will he survive? Of course. I've got 6 more books to go. I may throw in a Dumbledore moment for you lot as well.

Remember, tell me what you think. I was recommended to try using '…' for thoughts and "…" for text. Does it make things easier for you lot?

And because I feel so sorry for you guys having to wait, here is an omake:

* * *

Harry, Uryuu and Ichigo stood there, waiting for Hagrid's return. The man hadn't returned yet and the noises around them were getting louder.

As the three felt something come closer, Uryuu pulled the others closer to a tree and hid themselves in the darkness. What they saw appear was not what they expected.

From the shadows appeared the centaur, Bane. He was different though. On his face was some kind of mask. His head turned to them in the darkness and when he spoke, his voice became harder to understand.

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING!"

* * *

And there you go as well. Short but now, I have made you all see what I see. I can never picture that centaur without a bane mask anymore.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	15. Worries and Conclusions

I hated writing this chapter. Some was good yet some was annoying. I was happy with it in the end. I hope I portrayed everything right. Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

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**15 - Worries and Conclusions**

Uryuu sat by the bedside, keeping an eye on Madam Pomfrey as she went about treating Ichigo. Hagrid stood in the corner, keeping a watchful eye on the progress. Uryuu could tell that it was weighing heavily on the giant of a man's mind. He wouldn't break down until he was sure Ichigo was going to be okay. It was his duty as their caretaker for that night to be strong.

Harry and the others stood awkwardly in the corner, watching as well. Harry and Hermione had moved over to Hagrid to help reassure the gamekeeper and even Malfoy had been stunned silent. It was rare that he would pass up the opportunity to ridicule someone's injuries. The situation surrounding them must have silenced him of all comments. He was properly contemplating what would have happened if it had been him lying there.

Seconds turned to minutes as Madam Pomfrey grabbed a variety of potions and cast spell after spell. She kept muttering words that sounded a lot like 'Strange' and 'Unusual' as she carried out her work. Uryuu hoped she wouldn't question it too much. He himself had a rough idea of what she was talking about so it was better that she didn't look too much into it. It was most likely a Soul Reaper thing.

He wasn't sure when Professor Dumbledore arrived with Professor Snape. He only noticed when Madam Pomfrey turned to Professor Snape for another potion. By this point, Uryuu was seriously starting to worry. Why was this taking so long?

It took another agonising few minutes of waiting. Professor Dumbledore even stepped up at one point to cast a spell. Whatever he did, it must have helped as soon after, the wounds began to heal. The only question now he could see was when Ichigo would wake up. Madam Pomfrey said he would be asleep for a few hours but after what he had seen, he could tell that wouldn't happen.

So even after Madam Pomfrey had shooed everyone out of the Hospital Wing, Uryuu didn't truly leave. The moment he was out of sight of the others, he back tracked straight away towards a nearby classroom. Once there, he took a seat by the door and waited.

He wasn't sure how long he was going to wait. There was no telling when Ichigo was going to wake up. Still, he couldn't just leave him in the state he was in. He had seen how Ichigo acted. He wouldn't tell his friends something like this. He was the only one who could understand him right now, despite the fact that they should be enemies.

'Why am I really doing this?' Uryuu asked himself. 'We aren't friends. I don't need to stay.'

He got no answer as he sat in silence. At one point, he spotted the headmaster leaving the Hospital Wing with Professor Snape before they left towards the direction of the staircase. He didn't bother trying to follow, even if he could work out where they were going. No matter how well they hid it, they were curious. They would be heading to the forest but he couldn't be bothered to stop them. He didn't believe the site would give them anything and he couldn't risk laying a false trial.

Resigned, he kept his gaze on the door, waiting for Ichigo inevitable awakening.

* * *

"It's all my fault," sobbed Hagrid in his cabin. Plates were scattered around the room and clothes were thrown about. A giant box of tissues lay by Hagrid as he used another one to blow his nose. Across from him sat Dumbledore, sipping a cup of tea that he had been given. A rock cake rested on a nearby plate, left untouched. No one dared touch them. They must have been mostly rock than cake.

"You can't blame yourself Hagrid," said Dumbledore kindly as he plated his cup down. "There was nothing you could do."

"You don't understand," Hagrid said quietly, managing to get the words through his crying. "I split us up. I wanted to get us out of the forest as quickly as possible and because of my selfishness, a student was injured. I'm unfit to be here."

"No," Dumbledore said fiercely. "You were doing what you believed was best. You wanted them out of the forest as quickly as possible to protect them. You split them up because you believed the centaur could handle it. I would have done the same in your situation."

"Still, I'm still responsible. I suggested to you about how I could use a helping hand. That's why they were with me. I shouldn't have ever suggesting such a thing."

Dumbledore shook his head as he smiled sadly at the gamekeeper. "And if you did such a thing, it could have been you lying on the forest floor, no one able to come to your aid. As much as it pains me to say so, it was better that a student was hurt and will recover than for someone to die."

"But-"

"But nothing," Dumbledore said as he cut Hagrid off. "If the blame is anyone's, it is mine. I asked you to take the students, despite them being only first years. I'm afraid I was being a foolish old man and I apologise for that."

Hagrid continued crying for a moment before crushing the old wizard in a massive bear hug. "You're a great man Dumbledore," he said through sobs. "A greater man than I could ever be."

Dumbledore patted the man on the back. "Don't doubt yourself Hagrid. I can see you doing great things one day. I even heard Professor Silvanus Kettleburn is retiring in a year or two. I'm sure you will make a great replacement if you do a bit more studying. I'm already confident that you can handle the creatures."

"You really mean it?" asked Hagrid, oblivious to the intentional change in topic. "I never really considered I could do something like that."

"Never doubt yourself." Dumbledore waited a second as he gathered his thoughts to the information he needed. "Now I need to know what you saw in the forest. No, don't cry again Hagrid. We've just been through this. This information is important though. I need to know what you saw in the forest. Every little detail could be useful, despite how insignificant it may seem."

Hagrid didn't speak to start with. He just let his gaze wonder aimlessly, his mind reliving the night's events. "We were following the unicorn's blood," he explained. "Everything seemed normal till we started reorganising the groups."

"To who?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Harry and Draco went with Fang," said Hagrid. "Hermione and Neville switched with Harry and went with me. Ichigo and Uryuu meanwhile went with Bane."

"Bane," Dumbledore said in surprise. "You are positive?"

"Of course," said Hagrid confused. "Though it was strange. First time I ever saw him help a Wizard. And he even requested the two of them by name."

'This gets stranger and stranger' thought Dumbledore in puzzlement. 'Bane is one of the greatest anti-Wizard members of the centaurs. He tolerates them but he never works with them. So why did he offer to help?'

"Did he say why he was helping you?" asked Dumbledore.

"In a way that only a centaur understands," Hagrid replied grumpily. "Something to do with the stars saying we could need the help."

'There goes that idea,' thought Dumbledore. 'If he said the stars told him that could mean a whole variety of things, if that was even the truth.'

He quickly stopped his thoughts from going off track too much and focused on the details he needed. "What happened after you split up?"

"It was all going well," said Hagrid gravely. "It must have been a sign. All of a sudden, another set of red sparks was sent up and I rushed to find the Malfoy boy. He abandoned Harry and I was going to go looking for him when Firenze showed up with Harry. The poor kid was acting like he had seen a ghost or something. Said he saw a thing feeding on unicorn blood."

'Have you really fallen so far Tom?'

Hagrid was oblivious to Dumbledore's thoughts though as he continued with the story. "Then I heard a noise."

"A noise?" Dumbledore asked in confusion. "What kind of noise are we talking about?"

"Loud sir. It was unnatural. I never heard a cry so bloodthirsty. It was terrifying and I wasn't even nearby. Whatever made the noise was not a resident of the forest. We needed to leave."

"And you were right to do so," said Dumbledore. "But how did you find the other two boys? What put Mr Kurosaki in such a state?"

Hagrid stayed silent. Dumbledore waited patiently for him to final speak, not having to wait long. "I don't even know." Those words scared Dumbledore as much as confused him. It wasn't just the words that were said. It was the way they were spoken, the sheer panic in the man's voice.

"All I saw was the damage," continued Hagrid slowly. "Trees scattered, ground torn up. I can't really explain it sir. You would need to see it."

"I may do that," said Dumbledore finally as he stood up. "Thank you Hagrid. I won't keep you any longer."

"It's not a problem sir," Hagrid said embarrassedly. "Thank you for what you said."

"Remember," reminded Dumbledore. "Don't wallow in self pity. If you think you made a mistake, then make sure you can't do it again. Learn, don't quit."

With those last words, Dumbledore let himself out of the small cabin, the door swinging closed behind him. He gave a sad gaze towards the hut as he strode back to the castle before focusing on what he had learned. All he needed now was Severus. Hopefully he would have the remaining pieces they needed. Tom was making his move soon and he couldn't allow himself to become too distracted this close to the year's end. After all, Quirrell was still here despite the curse of the defence position. The curse always worked, no matter who taught so it was only a matter of time. There was just a few weeks left.

* * *

When Ichigo finally opened his eyes, it wasn't the forest that he saw. Neither was it the Hospital Wing that he may have expected when he collapsed. There were no castles nearby and no lakes of water or old training yards. Instead, all he saw was a darkish blue sky above him with clouds gathering. It took him a moment to realise that the sky was the only normal thing as he bolted up from where he was lying.

He glanced around in shock as he took in his surroundings. He was back in his mind if the skyscrapers were anything to go by. It wasn't the first time that he questioned his own sanity considering that most of the world was on its side.

"Ichigo," said a voice from nearby. Turning towards the sound, Ichigo spotted the black clothed man he had seen last time standing on a flagpole.

"Old man," replied Ichigo. "What am I doing here?"

"You don't remember?"

It all came back to Ichigo at once. The battle in the forest, Grand Fisher's arrival, his injuries, and his mother. And the feelings also came back. Rage and despair, one of the worst possible combinations to have. Without even noticing, he was clenching his fists, his eyes scanning for his target.

"He escaped Ichigo," said the black clothed man. From the tone he was speaking, he seemed to be in a mix of anger and sadness.

"Where is he?" Ichigo demanded. "We could still find him. I can't stop now."

"Ichigo," the black clothed man said concerned. "Now is not the time."

"How can you say that," Ichigo protested. "I finally found him after two years. I can't just give up."

"It won't change anything," came the reply. "You aren't strong enough yet. If you pursue him, you will die."

Ichigo stayed a quiet for a moment before speaking. "I still need to try. I know what he can do and I managed to wound him. I need to end this."

The black clothed man sighed. "I see I can't stop you. I didn't expect to knowing you as I do but I had to try. In the end, I desire the creature's death as much as yours. Maybe someone else can stop you."

"What happened anyway?" Ichigo asked confused. "I remember trying to go after the Hollow and then nothing. I just felt so weak before I saw nothing else."

"That would have been Ishida," said the black clothed man. "He is awfully good at manipulating his own energy. And in your state, it wouldn't have taken much to knock you out. You were badly hurt."

"Yeah," said Ichigo slowly. "I couldn't move very well after the Hollow stabbed me. I felt so weak. Then suddenly, I could move. My injuries, while hurting, didn't slow me down as much as I thought they would."

"That was me," the black clothed man said to Ichigo's surprise. "I may not be able to interact with the physical world as such but I can at least help you when you need it. I used my own energy to slow the bleeding and dull some of the pain. It was the only thing I could do to help you this time."

"Thanks," Ichigo spoke. "Wait… What do you mean this time? Can you help in other ways?"

"Tell me," the black clothed man said. "Can you hear my voice? My name is -."

"What did you say? I didn't catch that last word."

"I see," came the reply as the man sighed. "So it isn't time yet. I wonder when my voice will finally reach you. When you finally hear my name, I promise you, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the rain will never fall again."

"The rain?"

The black clothed man looked up to the clouds. "This is your inner world. The changes here represent the state of your soul."

"Great," Ichigo muttered. "I am crazy."

"You think you are crazy because of tilted buildings and not the fact that you are talking to a voice in your head?"

"Good point."

"Regardless," continued the black clothed man. "What you are feeling changes this world. You desire to protect everyone precious to you and you seek power to ensure they never come to harm. These skyscrapers represent your desires to do so. Meanwhile, these clouds represent your fears and your sadness. When your mother died, it rained for so long that I thought it would never end."

"I see," said Ichigo as the black clothed man turned back to him. "I'm sorry about that. That Hollow will be dead soon enough so it shouldn't rain again because of mum."

The black clothed man opened his mouth to speak when he stopped. He seemed distance for a second before re-focusing on Ichigo. "I see. It's time for you to awaken. You will see me again."

Before Ichigo could speak he vanished, leaving the black clothed man standing alone on the building. He looked up to the sky once again and spoke to himself.

"Ever since you came to this school, the clouds have begun to gather. I fear that a little more will cause the rain to fall. Something I refuse to let happen at any cost. Tell me Ichigo, have you ever felt fear because of this rain? I hate the rain. The pain of standing alone is this desolate place as the rain falls all around you can weigh heavily on your soul. I will lend you my strength as much as I can if it means stopping this accursed rain. So don't give in to despair Ichigo. Stand strong in your beliefs and keep moving forward. Never stop."

* * *

As Ichigo's eyes slowly opened, all he saw was darkness. It took him a moment to realise that it was only because the lights were all off and a screen was between him and the rest of the room.

Yawning, Ichigo looked down at his watch and scowled. He'd been asleep for too long. It was about five in the morning. The Hollow could be anywhere by now.

Making as little sound as possible, he cautiously removed his feet from the bed and lowered them to the floor. He felt a small amount of pain from the movement but it was mostly dulled. They must have given him something to help. Looking down at his chest, he could still see the faint marks left by the claws of Grand Fisher, the wounds themselves already closed and healed. They must not have been as serious as he thought if they had already healed so quickly with magic.

He slowly moved from a sitting position to his feet, wobbling for a second before regaining his balance. He peered out around the screen and was relieved to see Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight. The woman was great at what she did and all but he needed to leave now, not wait for her to make an evaluation of his condition.

Ichigo tiptoed carefully out of the Hospital Wing, not daring to even to a breath as long as he was in the room in case it was heard. The door opened with a creak but, luckily, Madam Pomfrey didn't seem to hear it. Ichigo didn't stick around to check though and closed the door as quickly as he opened it on his way out. He needed to be far away from there before she realised he was escaping.

After a few steps away from the door, Ichigo felt safe enough to breathe normally again. He was about to run off towards the stairs when a voice stopped him.

"Where are you going Kurosaki?"

Ichigo turned to the voice. "Uryuu? What are you doing up? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

A vein pulsed on Uryuu's forehead. "You're really daring to ask those questions to someone who waited hours for you to awaken. You're more annoying than I though."

"So you were worried about me?" Ichigo asked confused. "I'm sure we hate each other normally. What caused this change of heart?"

"You were going after that Hollow weren't you?" said Uryuu, ignoring the question. "It's no use."

"You know," Ichigo commented, "Someone else said a similar thing. And I don't care."

"Oh really," mocked Uryuu. "You're throwing your life away if you go after that creature. Would your mother really appreciate her son dying for the sake of vengeance? It would be a disgrace to her."

Ichigo's fist almost collided with Uryuu when the Ravenclaw suddenly ducked and struck out. His fist hit Ichigo in the stomach and caused him to fall to the ground in pain.

"Look at you," said Uryuu quietly, staring down at the boy lying on the ground in pain. "Even if your wounds are healed on the surface, it doesn't mean that they are finished healing inside as well. Besides, you could barely touch Grand Fisher. How did you expect to win against someone like it?"

"I injured it one," Ichigo spat out. "I can do it again."

"You got him by surprise," stated Uryuu. "The Hollow wasn't suspecting you to launch a second attack in your condition and because of that, it lowered its guard. It won't do that again. Besides, your Fullbring is far too dangerous right now to fight an enemy with."

"What are you talking about," said Ichigo with a glare. "My Fullbring's fine."

"Did you not see it," Uryuu responded harshly. "It was going berserk. If I hadn't stopped you, it could have consumed and destroyed you."

"What…" Ichigo's voice was hesitant, unsure of what Uryuu meant. "What are you talking about?"

Uryuu sat down next to Ichigo as he spoke. "A Fullbring has two forms. The Partial Form and the Clad Form. The Partial Form, or an incomplete Fullbring as some might call it, is a single object. In my case, it is a scythe. Yours is that tsuba. The Clad Form is the final form of all Fullbrings. It is where the Fullbring forms an armour of some kind around you and allows you to fight with your full strength. However, there is a rare stage that lies in between the two. The Berserk Form."

"Berserk Form. I wasn't told about that."

"You wouldn't," said Uryuu gravely. "It isn't a normal stage. It lies in between the two and is only formed when a Fullbring is still incomplete and the user is pushing themselves beyond their limits. Something like this only happens under extreme conditions and most Fullbringers have completed Fullbring before a threat like this appears."

"I don't understand," said Ichigo in confusion. "Isn't this a good thing? It was stronger than my tsuba."

"Fool," replied Uryuu angrily. "It isn't meant to be formed naturally. In exchange for greater power, it slowly tries to devour you. If you had used if for too long, the energy would slowly have consumed you. It's what happens when you try to pull out the Fullbring's full power before you achieve it."

"I see." Ichigo turned up to Uryuu. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Uryuu responded embarrassedly. "I just don't want you dying from your own power before I prove to you that Quincy are stronger. I can't do that if you go and run of and die."

"Still, thank you." Ichigo made to turn away when he stopped. He turned back to Uryuu just in time to catch the Quincy. "Hey. You said you could sense me when Filch caught us that night."

"Yeah," said Uryuu hesitantly. Where was Ichigo going with this?

"The Hollow," Ichigo said carefully. "Grand Fisher. Can you sense it?"

"Why? I'm not letting you run off after it."

"No," said Ichigo quickly. "Nothing like that. Just, is it still here? Is it still alive?"

"Yeah," Uryuu said after a moment, realising what Ichigo was asking. "I'll let you know where he is when you prove to me that you can kill it."

"Thank you." The two split up, each heading for the respective dorms. They missed the boy hiding in the nearby classroom, able to hear everything they said. The boy smiled viciously as he turned to watch the orange haired boy disappear.

"Oh little cousin, what have you gotten yourself into."

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, waiting for Professor Snape to arrive. Fawkes stood nearby on his perch, eating one of the nearby Sherbet Lemons that Dumbledore collected. The headmaster chuckled lightly at the site of his old friend as he stroked the Phoenix. Fawkes was magnificent in his eyes. The Phoenix was covered in crimson feathers that would glow faintly in the darkness, making them even more beautiful. His claws and beak gleamed gold with a golden tail as long as a peacock's. Black eyes lay on the Phoenix's face, carefully observing the room. Fawkes wasn't unaware of the events of the school and knew them better than even Dumbledore himself. The only reason it hadn't interfered because he knew he couldn't. It wasn't his role.

One of the devices spun quickly on Dumbledore's desk, drawing the old Wizard's attention. It was a simple detector charm, meant to tell him of people arriving at his office. From the speed it was spinning at, he knew that it must have been Severus. His trust was so great in the man that the statue guarding his office knew to let him past. Severus wouldn't betray him.

As he predicted, Snape came striding into the room. Yet something was off. His normal composure had been abandoned, his face showing looks of both shock and disbelief. Before the headmaster could react, his wand had come up at had tapped against his head. It was held there for a moment before it was pulled away, a silver strand following. The Potions master took the silver strand and led it into a bottle he pulled from his cloak. He added a small stopper to the bottle and passed it to Dumbledore.

"You know I trust you Severus," said Dumbledore, rejecting the bottle. "I don't need to see proof of your information."

But the Potions master just kept holding out the bottle. "I'm not doubting your faith Albus. You need to see this yourself. I can't describe it well enough. You wouldn't understand what I say unless you see if yourself."

"Very well." Dumbledore rose from his seat and took the bottle from Snape. He moved over to a closed area of the office and opened the doors. Inside was a small silver bowl on a pedestal. Dumbledore quickly pulled out the stopper and poured the memory into the bowl. When he was ready, he pushed his head into the bowl, staying like that for a few minutes. With every second, Snape grew more anxious, Fawkes's calming songs not helping in the slightest.

After what seemed like an eternity to the man, Dumbledore rose back out of the bowl and turned to Snape. "I see why you wanted me to use my pensieve. I would have thought you were exaggerating or maybe even underestimating what you said."

"Then you see it," said Snape worriedly. "What kind of creature can do such a thing? To rip all those trees from the ground and scatter them all over the clearing. It isn't normal."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said wisely. "However, was it only the creature that did that?"  
"What are you talking about Albus," said Snape. "They are first years. They don't know anything that powerful."

"Yet Mr Kurosaki finds himself in a situation surrounding by powerful magic once again," responded Dumbledore. "I spotted it in the memory. There was a place where the ground was crumpled slightly, as if a body had been lying against it. All around there was where the ground had been torn up, as if something had been slicing down at it."

"And you suspect the boy was involved."

"Of course." Dumbledore took to pacing back and forth as he contemplated the new information. "Then there were the boy's wounds. They were incredibly resistant to the potions and spells we used. You saw that. A creature that can inflict such dark wounds should be able to hunt prey far greater, yet it went for Ichigo Kurosaki. And it didn't attack till he was away from the group and retreated when Hagrid was about to arrive. Why?"

"I don't see why it is important."

"It may not be," replied Dumbledore. "It may not be of use but this is twice that events have targeted the boy. It makes me wonder who could be responsible. After all, the troll was revived at Halloween and now this creature went after the boy again."

"Could it be the Dark Lord?" asked Snape hesitantly. It was bad enough with having to watch out for one brat.

"No," came the response. "Tom has no interest in the boy that I can see. Why eliminate him? What is the benefit? And why go after him and not Harry? No, there must be another player here. Someone else is trying to influence events here."

"Then what do we do?" demanded Snape. "Surely you can find the perpetrator. This is your school."

"I wish it was that simple Severus, I really do. Unfortunately, something has hidden this person from view. Not even the wards can detect them. For now, we wait for them to make a mistake and focus on Quirrell. Harry must have seen him in the forest from what Hagrid said. Did you get anything from the centaurs?"

"No," Snape muttered disappointedly. "I only got stuff about Kurosaki from them."

If Snape expected the headmaster to look disappointed, he was completely wrong. The old Wizard was instead extremely confused at this information. "I'm sorry," he said slowly. "Did you say that they had information on Mr Kurosaki?"

"Why does it matter?" asked Snape. "What good does this information do?"

"Severus," Dumbledore continued. "Hagrid noticed the same thing. They were interested in the boy, despite him being a Wizard. How many times has this ever happened? Centaurs avoid our affairs yet they helped him."

"They did more than that," said Snape. "It was only luck I understood as much as I did. All of the ones I met apart from one told me the clearing had always been like that. One centaur I met on the way back though told me differently and that the damage was very recent. The centaur even seemed confused when I told him about what the other centaurs were telling me."

Dumbledore sat down in thought. 'Why would the centaurs be hiding this information? From what it sounds like, they don't want us knowing what happened there. This centaur Severus met must have been uninformed of the events at the time and hadn't met up with the others yet to be told a cover story.'

"Sir," Snape said, interrupting the headmaster from his thoughts. "What should we do? Should we investigate?"

"Not yet," replied Dumbledore. "It is too close to the end of the year and we can't afford distractions with Tom getting ready to act. All the traps are set ready so all that is left to do is to wait for his bait. He will want me away for the evening and I must leave in order to let him make his move. You will ensure the students are safe won't you."

"Of course," Snape responded with a nod of the head. "He won't leave the third floor corridor if you plan works though."

"I know. We just need to be safe. We have taken a great risk here, playing with the lives of the students. I only hope it will be worth the gamble."

The Potions master left the headmaster to his thoughts as he departed, heading back to the dungeons. Dumbledore sat in his chair in thought off the two boys, wondering what was going to happen. One enemy in the school was bad enough. An invisible one made things even more complicated. If they went after the stone, they could ruin everything.

Fawkes meanwhile stretched on his perch and flew out the window, enjoying the fresh air. He had heard every word of what had been said and was heading to the forest himself. He had to check something for himself. Something his first master had told him about.

The sorting hat had also been listening and watched the Phoenix fly away. He too was thinking along similar lines. If the centaurs were hiding things then it meant one thing. The cycle was beginning once again.

* * *

Chapter 15. Some of this was harder to write since I'm looking at the same events of the forest but talked about differently with different information and conclusions available. I was glad to have finished it in the end.

So you have seen the conclusion of the night's events. But what is this cycle? And what are the centaurs doing? I guess you will need to wait and see.

Next chapter, we should be at the stone. We're almost at the end of the first year and then we get to some of the good stuff. Book 2 is going to be interesting to write with.

Remember, I love to know what you guys think. If you think I should improve of something in my writing, let me know. I only changed the thought style because one of my loyal readers suggested it might make it easier for you guys to follow. And I think it did looking back. So let me know.

Don't forget to ask questions if you are puzzled and review. I don't mind replying and every review jus increases my spirits.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	16. Treachery and Danger

Here we go. Chapter 16 is here finally. This is one of my favourites so far and should be a nice read for you lot.

In other news, I hit the 10,000 view count. I have no idea whether that is good or bad, especially for a first story, so I'm just going to celebrate anyway. If you actually do know, please let me know.

Hope you like it the chapter ahead. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**16 - Treachery and Danger**

"Do you think he's okay?"

"He looks like it. What do you think happened?"

"I heard the detention was in the Forbidden Forest. Who knows what's even in there."

Ichigo groaned as he slowly awoke to the sound of his friends' voices.

"He's waking up," came a voice that sounded a lot like Tatsuki's. His eyes opened slowly to see her and Chad looking down at. The two of them looked concerned as they stared down at him. What was the matter?

He got his answer as he followed their gaze. Their eyes were locked on the claw marks on his chest, realising he had forgotten to cover it before he went to sleep. He had meant to do it but it had been so dark and he had given up trying to do so in favour of sleep. The night had left him really tired, much more than any of the nights spent training with Kugo had.

"Are you okay Ichigo," Chad asked, watching his friend worriedly as Ichigo made to sit up. He grunted slightly at the effort.

"I'm fine," Ichigo muttered out as he brought himself into a sitting position. "Just a bit sore from yesterday."

"What happened to you?" asked Tatsuki. She had hoped Ichigo would get a little scare as revenge for leaving them out of the loop but nothing like this. It made her feel guilty even thinking about it.

"It's nothing to worry about," said Ichigo as he threw off their concerns. "One of the creatures in the forest took a little bit of a liking to me and tried to attack me but Hagrid scared it off. Got a few hits in though."

He suddenly felt a smack on his head as Tatsuki glared at him. "Nothing to worry about? We heard stories that you had to be taken to the Hospital Wing for treatment. One or two of the students who snuck out even said that they say Hagrid in tears as he left the castle. Now tell us why we shouldn't worry?"

Ichigo looked up to Tatsuki with a soft smile. "You know me Tatsuki. Something like that won't keep me down. Remember all the fights we got into when we were little. I always recovered quickly."

"There's a difference between a broken arm and emergency treatment," Tatsuki replied quietly.

Ichigo didn't respond. There was nothing he could say to counter that. He knew Tatsuki understood though. She was just worried. Chad took the silence to tell Ichigo of what he had heard happening nearby.

"She's seriously up there?" asked Ichigo, completely confused. "Why?"

"I don't think she likes people leaving without her permission."

"I swear," said Tatsuki. "That woman is a demon. I get now why people always say to never get on the wrong side of Madam Pomfrey. I heard she was even taught by Retsu Unohana."

"Retsu Unohana?" asked Chad. "Who is she?"

"She's legendary," answered Tatsuki, her voice akin to something of awe. "She's one of the most powerful Witches in the entire world with healing powers second to only one. It was said that during the time of Grindelwald's terror, she single handily liberated a city from his followers and saved all the occupants living there without even getting harmed once. The Dark Lord of that time didn't even try and go after her in retaliation, fearing her for her strength."

While Tatsuki continued with her story, Ichigo was desperately trying to make sure he didn't show any recognition of the story. He had met Unohana once when he was younger. She had been a friend of his grandfather and was absolutely terrifying. She had even silenced his dad by simply asking him to be quiet. It was still a mystery of how such polite words could radiate such terror from them. His grandfather was the only one who seemed to be immune to it.

But that wasn't the whole reason he had to keep quiet. It was more the fact that she was a faint member of his family, except she was part of a different branch instead of the main one. It wouldn't be good for people to start looking into his family tree, especially with some of the people like her on it.

"I see," said Chad as Tatsuki finished her tale. "I can see what you mean now. It makes me glad that we just have Madam Pomfrey and not her. I think half the school would be afraid to even go to the Hospital Wing, even if they dying."

"I still don't see why she is so obsessed," said Ichigo as he lifted himself out of his bed and grabbed a new shirt to pull on. "I healed quickly enough."

"Ichigo," Tatsuki said in a condescending voice. "Normal people don't heal as fast as you do. Looking at your wounds on your chest, I would estimate it would take a full day of bed rest to recover. How long do you think you were asleep before you woke up and escaped?"

"I don't know," Ichigo answered sheepishly. "A few hours."

"She's right," Chad added. "Normal people don't heal that fast. She probably thinks you are going to reopen your wounds or something. If you show her you are okay, you may be let go."

"Or we can sneak out when she isn't looking." Ichigo pulled on his robe and tie and grabbed his bag before walking over to the door of the dorm, the other two following him with their own stuff. "I doubt she would let me go even if I was fine. Kept in for observation would probably be her response."

"You do realise that she will corner us eventually," said Chad.

"It should at least be fun," Tatsuki replied before Ichigo could answer. "I can imagine the legends now. Ichigo Kurosaki, the only one to even escape the Hospital Wing without being released."

The three couldn't help but laugh as they headed to the entrance, using the other students nearby to hide themselves as they exited the House. None of them ever believed that even years after they left, the legend would still exist. Madam Pomfrey never let anyone leave early. Ever.

* * *

The exams came round extremely quickly, faster than anyone could expect despite the warnings and the work done for them. That week was one of the quietest that Hogwarts ever had that year, almost every student studying last minute details or going over spell after spell in their free time.

The exams seemed to follow a general theme for most. First would be a theoretical paper and then there would later be a practical session if it was applicable. The only ones that relied on the first only for the first years was History of Magic, with Astronomy being a sort of mix between the two since the exam was just one paper with both parts.

Chad seemed to find the Herbology exam easiest while Tatsuki found Transfiguration to come easier than she thought as the exam progressed. Ichigo himself found most of the exams too be a mix. The practical sections weren't too bad. At some points, they were almost second nature to him. It was the theoretical sections that would give him a few problems. He knew that he would have done well but he didn't hold out much hope for any high ranks out of the students. Strangely, History of Magic was the easiest for him in the end. Chad and Tatsuki seemed to expect that from him though with how well he had picked up the subject after they had stopped being taught by Professor Binns.

Finally though, they were free. No more exams, no more revision, and very few lessons. All that was left was the small amount of time that would prepare them for the following year and the rest was theirs to use as they wanted and enjoy the time with their friends. The summer holidays would be approaching soon enough.

So as the final exam ended, Ichigo wasn't surprised to see Kugo gesture at him with their usual signal. It meant that they needed to meet at the usual place for another session. He had been wondering when Kugo would send him the signal, especially after the events of the forest. Kugo was sure to have heard about it. It seemed even his cousin didn't want to waste any time around the exams. It would be bad if they failed because they focused too much on his Fullbring training.

There was a sense of urgency on Kugo's face however. The message was oblivious. Come now.

Making up a quick excuse, Ichigo snuck away from his two friends, unaware of certain pair of eyes watching him leave to chase after the Slytherin. The Ravenclaw watching him though just carried on walking. It wasn't his business after all.

When Ichigo finally reached the tower, he practically flew up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. It had taken him a bit longer than he had wanted as he couldn't afford to run into any pestering teachers. They would wonder why he was running desperately away to one of the towers, despite the fact that every other first year was enjoying the fresh air and the sun outside in celebration of the end of exams. As he reached the door at the top of the tower and entered the room, he saw Kugo waiting for him at the archway.

"Ready?" he asked, standing to the side to allow Ichigo to go first.

Nodding, Ichigo strode past and touched his hand to the archway, the portal opening up like normal for them to step through. Kugo followed straight after as the portal closed behind him and they headed to the training room, neither of them bothering to make a sound.

They slowly brought up their own focuses for their Fullbring and allowed it to form in front of them. Kugo's giant sword appeared like normal, though for Ichigo, his Fullbring remained in the berserk form it had been in since the forest. Kugo just raised an eyebrow in response to it.

"You don't do thinks half heartedly do you Ichigo," he said as he lifted his sword onto his shoulders. "So judging by the state of your Fullbring, I'm guessing it wasn't just an animal that got you in that forest was it?"

"Yeah," said Ichigo with a scowl. "It was a Hollow."

"Makes sense," said Kugo as he scratched his head in thought. "Though what was a Hollow doing on school grounds? Uncle Sosuke always told me that it was rare to even encounter one since the war. How did one get here?"

"Two."

Kugo looked at Ichigo in shock. "Two?"

"Yeah," nodded Ichigo. "There were two of them. I took down the first easy enough but the second posed a problem and beat me. I didn't let it get away unharmed though."

"And that caused your Fullbring to go berserk," finished Kugo, smiling as if he had solved an interesting riddle. "This must be awful for you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Ichigo, unsure of what to make of the expression on his cousin's face. That smile of his wasn't very comforting.

"You have a time limit imposed on yourself now," Kugo answered smirking. "If you don't master your Fullbring by tonight, there is a high chance that the fighting will upset your Fullbring's state and consume you completely."

"Why is that something to smile about?" said Ichigo scowling.

"It means," answered Kugo, "That we can have some fun." Without waiting for Ichigo to be ready, he charged straight at Ichigo, faster than he had ever moved before. His sword came flying round from his shoulders, aimed straight at Ichigo's neck.

It was only instinct that saved Ichigo there. He wasn't sure how he had known what was about to happen. Maybe he had read Kugo's movements? Maybe he had processed the attack faster than he thought he had? None of that mattered though. In the end, the only thing was that was important was that he had dodged. The sword swing went wide over his head.

"Hey," shouted Ichigo as his eyes watched his opponent. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" mocked Kugo as he grabbed the sword's inner handle and used it to bring the sword quickly back round at Ichigo. "I'm just having a bit of fun."

As the sword came round to slash at Ichigo from his right, he brought up his right arm and blocked, the sword's edge stopped by the swirling energy around his arm. "Really? Because I don't remember you trying to kill me in our last sessions."

"What can I say Ichigo, you're just too strong to kid around with at the moment. I need to fight more seriously to get my kicks sometimes."

The two stared each other down, neither one making a move. Silence filled their air and the tension in the room was thick. Yet it seemed to empower Kugo, as if he enjoyed causing the distrust in the room.

Then they moved. Both of the two boys separated as they flung themselves backwards, green light flickering around their feet as they settled into familiar stances. Kugo held his sword in front of himself, the point aimed directly at Ichigo. His free hand rested on the inner handle, ready to swing the sword quickly if Ichigo got past his guard.

Ichigo meanwhile had abandoned the stance he had been using as it wouldn't help him here without the tsuba. Instead, he settled for a similar form to what he used when he and Tatsuki fought at their old dojo. It helped that the energy flowing around his right arm would amplify the power and be able to stop that sword of his. That was something that even his old Fullbring had barely been able to do.

With a quick burst of Bringer Light, Ichigo flung himself upwards, heading to try and get Kugo from above. Kugo watched calmly and brought his sword back, ready to strike. Before he could react though, Ichigo had suddenly accelerated straight past his guard and was firing off a punch straight at his chest.

'So fast,' thought Kugo. He didn't let the surprise shock him though as he used his own burst of Bringer Light to launch himself backwards, the attack missing him completely.

Not allowing Ichigo to take control of their battle, Kugo flung himself forward, slashing downwards at Ichigo. Ichigo dodged to the side and hit out with his left fist, only for Kugo to take the hit easily. It didn't seem to faze him much. It was almost like the attack didn't even connect.

Kugo tightened the grip on his sword and brought it back round, forcing Ichigo to go on the defensive. Each strike forced him back further and further, a few even causing minor cuts as the sword passed.

"What's the matter," taunted Kugo. "Where's that speed you showed me earlier? I thought you were better than this."

'This isn't working,' thought Ichigo. 'I can't get in an opportunity to strike back. His attacks are too strong.'

Ichigo felt his back hit the wall as Kugo smirked in victory. The massive sword came round to stab Ichigo, knowing that he would have no way to retreat like before. The point of the blade flew straight towards Ichigo and caught him in the side as he made to dodge, the momentum of the blade carrying it into the wall behind them.

Before Kugo could pull the blade back out though, Ichigo grabbed the inner hilt of the sword with his free hand and refused to let go.

"I've got you," he muttered as Kugo's eyes widened. As he pulled his right arm back, the energy increased in intensity before he struck forward at Kugo. The attack connected almost instantly, the energy around his fist shooting forward towards the target and blasting past, the energy shielding their views of their opponent.

Ichigo panted slightly as he felt the effects of using such a powerful attack. He had launched practically everything he could summon in that one attack, knowing he may not get another chance. He even felt less resistance against his grip on the sword than before.

"I was too sloppy it seems." Ichigo froze as the energy around them cleared, revealing Kugo standing before him. He wasn't wearing the same outfit as he was before though. The skeleton armour he had shown Ichigo was now equipped, the only new addition being a skull like mask over his face.

"How-"

"Isn't it oblivious Ichigo?" Kugo said, stopping Ichigo from even asking his question. He already knew what it was. "I had forgotten how quick your growth rate is. I should have realised that you would have already learned how to fight with the berserk form of your Fullbring, even if you only used it for a moment. The best way to learn is true combat experience after all."

Kugo pulled the sword from Ichigo's grip, ignoring the quick gasp of pain Ichigo released as the sword glanced past the small wound it had inflicted in his side.

"A berserk Fullbring still has the full power of an offensive Fullbring in its complete state. There are a few problems with it as you have seen though."

Kugo grabbed Ichigo before he could react and threw him across the room. Ichigo quickly spun in the air before landing on his feet, barely bringing up his right arm in time to block Kugo's swing.

"The first," Kugo said as he struck out at Ichigo with his sword, "Is that they are unstable. They may have the offensive power but it fluctuates far too much to be on the same level as it would normally be." To prove his point, Kugo lowered his guard as Ichigo retaliated to his attacks, allowing the blow to hit him. Instead of being even damaged though, he simply shrugged of the attack and pointed at his chest.

"See," he mocked. "There may be a small amount of damage but your attacks are too wild, too unfocused. It's like being hit by a load of pebbles instead of a boulder. There is a big difference between the two."

Gripping his sword tightly, he pulled it back for a swing as green energy gathered around the blade. With one slash, the energy was sent straight at Ichigo, faster than he had ever seen it move before. There was barely time to bring up his right arm in time to counter the blast.

As the smoke from the two energies colliding cleared, Kugo was treated to the sight of Ichigo having been blasted back quite far, the energy around his arm unable to fully stop the attack.

"That brings us to point number two," said Kugo as he charged towards Ichigo. Just as he was about to reach him, he activated Bringer Light and shot over to Ichigo's left hand side. Cross of Scaffold came up instantly to strike its target, Ichigo barely managing to avoid the deadly edge of the blade.

"Do you see," Kugo said as he kept up the assault. "You managed to grab some of the offensive power but without the full form, you lack the defensive capabilities it could give you."

As if to completely prove his point, he shot forward, cutting Ichigo again on his side as the latter became unable to completely avoid the attack. Before he could get in another attack though, Ichigo vanished in a burst of Bringer Light and reappeared behind him a moment later.

Just as Ichigo moved to strike though, Kugo brought his blade straight round and swatted the attack away like it was nothing.

"And point number three," said Kugo as he approached Ichigo slowly. "To grant you that increase in power, the Fullbring wraps itself around your arm, creating a more permanent focus to draw energy to. Because of this however, it is far easier to work out which side the attack will come from. After all, your only hope lies in the energy around your right arm, not your left."

Kugo stabbed forward with the blade, Ichigo disappearing in a burst of Bringer Light as he did so. It was expected however as Kugo appeared right in front of him with his own use of Bringer Light and quickly stabbed the blade through Ichigo's chest, bringing the sword down to the ground and plunging it into the floor.

Ichigo struggled in pain as he tried to remove the blade. It was to no avail though as the blade had gone too deep into the ground for him to remove it from his position. He was completely pinned.

From above him, Kugo looked down at him, a sneer on his face. "Well well," he said coldly. "It seems the fun has come to an end. I had planned to use you later on but it looks like that won't be possible anymore."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the statement while Kugo laughed it off as he turned away slightly.

"Did you forget," he continued. "I'm a Slytherin. I'm part of the House known for their cunning. We snakes always have a plan you see. Well, I guess some plans need to be adapted."

He began walking off as Ichigo called to him in protest. "You won't get away with this. People will notice I'm missing. They'll find me."

"Really?" said Kugo sarcastically. "You forget where we are. No one knows where this place is, not even our esteemed headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. And if anyone questions where I was, I can tell them that I was simply in my dorm. Just ask any of the other Slytherins and they will back me up."

"Damn you," Ichigo shouted at his cousin as he increased his struggles to free himself from the blade. Kugo just kept walking though as he called back to him.

"Oh, I just remembered. Those friends of yours will probably get curious and with that Quincy's help, they might actually find you. I guess I better eliminate them. Makes it look more random then instead of just selected targets."

Ichigo felt his blood freeze as he heard those words. "Tatsuki. Chad. Uryuu." His grip tightened on the blade's edge, cutting into his hands as he struggled against the blade. "They have nothing to do with this," he screamed at Kugo furiously.

"You think that matters to me?" asked Kugo, still not stopping. He had almost reached the exit now. "Think about it this way. If you had been a little bit stronger, you could have prevented their deaths. Guess you failed again huh little Ichigo."

'Is he right' thought Ichigo as he watched Kugo's retreating form. "If I was stronger, if I was tougher, if I was faster." These thoughts repeated themselves over and over in his head as Kugo got closer and closer to the door. 'NO! I won't fail. Never again!'

As Kugo reached for the door handle, he froze, sensing a large source of energy nearby. He turned in realisation but it still felt like he was moving far too slowly. There in front of him, he saw the energy around Ichigo's right arm fire out as it destroyed the sword that was trapping him to the ground. Without hesitating, he used Bringer Light to get straight to Ichigo and grasped where he knew the cross was around Ichigo's wrist.

Before Ichigo could even do anything, the energy around his arm exploded outwards, blinding the occupants of the room for what was happening. When Ichigo's sight finally returned, he saw a smiling Kugo standing over him, his armour in pieces around him. This smile wasn't sinister or mocking though like it had been before. It was more like relief.

"I'm sorry," Kugo said softly as he looked down at his cousin. "I couldn't leave anything to chance with your Fullbring being in the state that it was in. You made so much more progress with the Hollows than you made with me. I realised that you needed an enemy to face to speed up your growth. I needed you to want to defeat me at any cost. At the same time, I needed to be here for when you finally unlocked your Fullbring's true form."

Kugo looked down at himself before continuing. "When the full power of a Fullbring is unlocked, it is all released in one explosive blast. Without someone else being there to take the blunt of it, the user will be destroyed by their own power. I wish there had been an easier way to do this."

Ichigo stared up at his cousin in disbelieve before his guard finally lowered completely. "You had me fooled," he muttered quietly. "Thanks." Before Kugo could respond, Ichigo gave in to his wounds, exhaustion taking over.

Kugo looked down at Ichigo before his Fullbring broke apart into energy and changed back into its original form. He quickly checked Ichigo over to see which injuries were the most pressing before gathering energy around his hands. The energy cloaked them with a transparent light green aura before he placed it by the most pressing wounds. What surprised him though was the rate they began to heal even before he applied his hands to the wounds. The shallow cuts he had inflicted had already almost fully healed while even the wound to his chest has already begun to try and fix the damage.

"No," Kugo muttered to himself. "This isn't possible. This rate of healing is… unless…"

After a few minutes healing most of the wounds, he turned his attention to the most pressing. He had caused a fair bit of damage with his sword which would take a lot longer to heal than the others, even with the additional healing factor. He also didn't have the energy to waste after healing the rest of his wounds.

To compensate, he healed the wound for as long as he could before grabbing some bandages from his bag that he had brought for this very situation. He wrapped them round before making sure they were secure. Now hopefully no one would notice and Ichigo's natural healing would take care of the rest. He had fixed most of the internal damage after all so only the flesh wound was left.

Now all he had to do was wait until Ichigo woke up again. It wouldn't be good to leave him here unattended. Besides, what was the worst that could happen while Ichigo was missing? It wasn't like three students would plan to save a mythical stone from a potions master who was believed to be working for Voldemort and had tricked the gamekeeper into telling him how to get past a three headed dog. Right?

* * *

Uryuu was worried. No strike that, he was already panicking. He just had to overhear didn't he. Everything would have been fine if he hadn't overheard that one little detail about the Philosopher's stone. Apparently, according to the three first years of Gryffindor, Snape was going to steal the stone.

Well, it wasn't so much that they said Snape but it sounded a lot like the Professor's name and he doubted their suspicious had changed much.

Originally, he had heard it and thought it was ludicrous. They were overreacting. He even heard Professor McGonagall ensure them the enchantments were sufficient enough.

Then he realised what else he had heard. Professor Dumbledore was away, gone to the Ministry, and wouldn't be back until the next day most likely. It would take time to go from the castle to the nearby village to be free of the wards. The headmaster would then need to travel to the Ministry, find out the Minister never requested a meeting, most likely get delayed by requests for help from said Minister, and then return to the school. That left a reasonable sized gap in the school's defences. After all, it was widely known that the man's mere presence had warded off some of the attacks against Hogwarts during the war. His grandfather had once told him that when he was younger.

So because of his absence, it offered a perfect opportunity. Never again would Quirrell find a better time to steal the stone than when Dumbledore was gone. And if he knew how to get past the enchantments, he could be in and out before Dumbledore could stop him.

Again, Uryuu went over the reasons why he should stop him. He was a Quincy after all. Voldemort knew better than to mess with them, especially since the few times he had angered them, he had been defeated terribly.

Staying neutral kept away unnecessary problems. Yet something didn't feel right to do so. The Vandenreich would ignore it. Why shouldn't he?

He knew why though. He was an Ishida. His grandfather had always told him that the Ishida's couldn't willing ignore the rest of the world just because they themselves were safe. Their pride as Quincy just wouldn't allow it.

'And the stone,' thought Uryuu as he paced alongside his bed. 'Something like that can't fall into the hands of someone like him. And if Voldemort became too strong and gathered too many followers, he could see himself to be stronger than us and end up starting a war that would wipe out all Wizards. That can't happen.'

He paused in his pacing before turning to the door and heading out. He ignored the cries for curfew from the Prefects as he passed them and charged out into the school's corridors. His mind was made up. He needed to make sure the stone would be safe. If the enchantments had fallen, no one would be able to defeat Quirrell in time. He was a fully trained wizard after all who had most likely been trained by Voldemort for this task. Three first years would never be able to do it.

But maybe a Quincy and a Soul Reaper could.

* * *

And there we have it. No Philosopher's stone yet. I was a bit off in my estimates. I wasn't even sure I could make the scene between Kugo and Ichigo last so long. And then end total is roughly 3500 words. That would have been the length of one of the original chapters in just one scene.

I thought I would add a reference to another character from Bleach. A tribute to the captain of squad 4. I never would have guessed her past until I read it in the manga.

Speaking of the manga, the latest chapter with the black hollow and Masaki was really interesting. You can see I got some inspiration from that for part of the fight. Bonus points if you guessed that before you read this.

Next chapter definitely has the enchantments. I'm almost 100% sure.

So tell me what you thought. Did you all like it?

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	17. Third Floor and Down

Chapter 17 is here for you guys. I finally beat the length of the sorting hat chapter. Almost 9000 words in a single chapter. That's a massive difference from my original 3000 word chapters. I won't keep you here with a long author's note. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**17 - Third Floor and Down**

There were a lot of things that Ichigo expected to happen as he headed back to the Hufflepuff dorm. The ghosts would stop and chat to him on the way, despite them knowing it was after curfew, Mrs Norris would be seen in the distance every so often, causing him to run before Filch caught up to her, and it would mostly be a peaceful walk back. Despite the encounter with Filch that one time that got him sent to the forest, he had never been caught. And now he knew what to avoid. No, what Ichigo never expected was the sight in front of him as he reached the entrance to the dorms.

"Open you stupid wall," shouted Uryuu as he kicked the wall in front of him in frustration. Judging by his tone, he must have been at it for a while to have lost his composure to such an extent.

Before Ichigo could call out to him though, he brought his fist down on one of the barrels nearby. It was the worst thing he could have done.

There was silence for a moment, the magic of the entrance identifying the pattern made on the barrels. The moment it realised it was not only incorrect but also on the wrong barrel, Ichigo got to watch the dorm's defences first hand. They really hadn't been kidding about the vinegar.

From above Uryuu, a hatch opened up, dousing him in vinegar. The Quincy barely managing to use his robe to shield the rest of his clothes. Ichigo watched from the side in amusement until he realised that the doorway would now have locked itself for a while and he didn't know the override code, if there even was one.

"Hey," Ichigo called over in annoyance. "How am I meant to get in now?"

Uryuu turned to him like a flash, relief and anger showing on his face. "You could have stopped me," he replied as he reached into his bag. From it, he pulled out a second robe and switched it with the soaked one, using old one to attempt to dry his hair.

"You keep a second robe in your bag?" Ichigo said in surprise.

"Of course. I thought I might need one tonight so I brought a spare."

Ichigo felt like face palming at his statement or doing something equivalent. "What are you doing here Uryuu?"

For once, Uryuu didn't seem to show even the slightest bit of being bothered by the casual use of his name. "I was looking for you?"

"For me?" asked Ichigo puzzled. "I haven't gone after the Hollow if that's what you're after."

"I know," said Uryuu. "I kept an eye on you if you began to get too close to the forest. I couldn't be too careful after all."

"So you were spying on me," accused Ichigo.

"Not spying," protested Uryuu. "Just ensuring you wouldn't go and get yourself killed."

"I told you I wouldn't. I keep my promises."

"I know that," said Uryuu. "This isn't the reason I came here. I need your help." He struggled to get the last few words out, having to actually try a few times for the foreign words to be spoken.

"My help?" asked Ichigo. "What the hell do you need my help for?"

"I can't explain here," said Uryuu urgently. "Follow me. I'll explain on the way."

Ichigo stood still for a moment, weighting up his options. "Fine," he finally said. "Lead on."

Nodding in response, Uryuu took off down the corridor running, Ichigo keeping pace next to him.

"Have you heard of something called a Philosopher's stone?"

"Yeah," replied Ichigo as the pair turned a corner. "Made by Nicolas Flamel, it grants the wielder an infinite supply of gold and the ability to create an elixir that will allow whoever drinks it to live forever."

"As long as they keep drinking it," Uryuu pointed out.

"Yeah," said Ichigo. "Why are you interested in it?"

"You're a smart person Ichigo," he responded. "You must have worked out why it is in the school."

Ichigo nodded in confirmation. "It's being hunted by someone. Whoever wants the stone is powerful enough to make Flamel believe that it is safer elsewhere. Why would he give up the one thing keeping himself and his wife alive?"

"Correct. Someone is going to steal it right now."

"What!" exclaimed Ichigo before Uryuu clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him into one of the classrooms nearby. He shot to the door the moment they were inside and closed it until it was almost shut but he could just about get a glimpse outside.

No sooner than he had done so did Filch appear, panting as he tried to breathe in oxygen. Mrs Norris was right by him, leading him somewhere.

"What did you see?" Filch said to Mrs Norris when he recovered. "Are there students nearby?"

The cat looked around, her eyes glaring into the darkness of the school's corridors. Finally, the eyes settled on the door he and Ichigo were in.

He froze, begging the cat would move on. They couldn't just disable the caretaker. They could get in trouble for that later on and people would wonder why they were out so late. A Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw may not attract as much attention as a Gryffindor or a Slytherin would but they would still get in trouble. Yet they couldn't be caught here. If they were delayed, things could end badly.

So engrossed in his thoughts, Uryuu barely noticed Ichigo looked over his shoulder at the two. The two watched as Filch slowly reached for the door handle, ready to check the empty classroom for any students.

Just as he was about to grab it though, a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Ah," said the voice. "How are you doing Filch?"

Filch turned to the ghost in surprise. "Fat Friar. What are you doing out around the corridors so late? You are normally in the dungeons at this time."

"What can I say," the Fat Friar answered jollily. "I like to mix things up a bit sometimes. The same routine gets boring after a few decades."

"I see," said Filch before he turned back to the door. The ghost's appearance had been enough to snap the out of their daze however as they had dived for cover behind desks the moment the ghost had distracted Filch.

The caretaker opened the door and used his lantern to shine into the darkness. He entered the room before heading over to check the supply cupboard at the end of the classroom, Mrs Norris following. Behind his back, the Fat Friar quickly gave a gesture to Ichigo as he spotted him and pointed towards the door.

Getting the message, Ichigo pointed it out to Uryuu silently as they both crept around the desks, watching out for Filch as he made his way across the classroom. There was no way to know if he would stop his search of the room without checking the desks first.

The two reached the final desk before making a break for it, Mrs Norris spotting them just as they escaped. She gave a loud meow as they left, alerting Filch instantly.

Ichigo and Uryuu heard it too and before Ichigo could ask for a suggestion, Uryuu ran towards one of the nearby staircases, leaving Ichigo no choice but to follow. As they reached it, they realised that they couldn't see Filch behind them.

"He would have gone to cut us off," said Uryuu. "So we need to bypass the normal route."

"How the hell are we meant to do that?" asked Ichigo before Uryuu suddenly jumped off the edge.

Ichigo looked around for a second before jumping after him. The two fell in free fall for a few seconds before green light appeared around their shoes. They didn't even need to communicate to pass on the plan here. They both used Bringer Light as they reached the third floor corridor and used it to propel themselves easily onto the ground nearby, using Bringer Light again as they landed to cushion the ground.

"You are crazy," Ichigo muttered as he landed next to the Ravenclaw. "Absolutely crazy."

"It worked didn't it," said Uryuu. "Filch won't even think to look this far down since he won't suspect that we could have gotten past him."

"I suppose," Ichigo muttered. "So who is stealing the stone?"

"Quirrell."

Ichigo looked at him in disbelieve. "Seriously? Quirrell? We're still talking about the man who fainted from a troll, despite specialising in them aren't we?"

"Why not?" responded Uryuu. "Who would suspect him? The signs are there for people to see if they look hard enough."

"Still, he doesn't seem strong enough to pose a threat to the Flamels. They didn't keep the stone safe for all these years without learning a few tricks."

"I know," said Uryuu in thought. "Someone else must be involved and Quirrell is like a go between."

"I don't see why this involves us. I doubt the headmaster would leave it unprotected."

"Of course not. But I believe he is powerful enough to get past them. Why move now unless he was certain. There is a high chance he knows ever trap in there."

Ichigo seemed to think about this before his eyes narrowed. Uryuu followed his gaze to see the door at the end of the third floor corridor slightly ajar.

"We aren't the only ones who know are we?" Ichigo asked carefully.

"I thought Professor McGonagall would keep an eye on them but they must have slipped past. Potter has a cloak that can hide himself and others from even my senses. I doubt anything the Professor used would be able to detect them leaving their dorm with it on."

"I see," said Ichigo, his eyes still locked on the door. "Why are they being so foolish? What do they believe normal first years can do?"

"I don't understand them," said Uryuu, rubbing his head in annoyance. "But Dumbledore isn't here. It is the only opportunity Quirrell is going to get and they learned of it. They believe that they can stop him reaching the stone."

Ichigo scowled. "How far are they ahead of us?"

Uryuu closed his eyes as he let his senses spread out. He focused on behind the door and followed the trail they had taken till he found them.

"Quite far," he said as he opened his eyes. "At least three rooms ahead of us I think."

"Can we catch up?"

"Who do you think we are?" said Uryuu, allowing his pride to leak into his voice. "I'm a Quincy and you're a Soul Reaper. The traps will slow us down but if they could clear them, so can we."

"Then what are we waiting for," said Ichigo as he started to walk towards the door. "Let's go lend them a hand."

Uryuu nodded as he kept up with the orange haired boy's strides. The two reached the door and pulled it open to see the first task ahead of them. There in front of them stood a massive three headed dog.

Uryuu raised an eyebrow at the sight in front of him, a vein pulsing on his head slightly as he stared at the creature. "You have got to be kidding me."

The Cerberus laid all six of its eyes on them before letting out a loud roar. It slowly brought itself to its full height before lunging at the two boys.

As the heads approached their position, the two jumped to the side, pushing themselves high into the air with Bringer Light. Uryuu made to reach for the pen in his pocket but was surprised when he saw Ichigo had already brought out his Fullbring.

Instead of the Berserk state, it was back to its usual form of the tsuba.

'It's already back in control?' Uryuu thought as he looked at the tsuba.

The Cerberus seemed to have realised it had missed and began to bring its heads back to attack them again. Before it could launch another attack though, Ichigo was already moving, throwing the tsuba so it looped around one of the three heads. With a swift pull, the chain reacted and pulled the Cerberus off balance as it tried to attack, the teeth going wide as they went for Uryuu.

With a loud crash, the creature hit the floor. It struggled to get back up as Ichigo sent the tsuba round the rest of its heads and limbs, securing the Cerberus to the ground. As much as it struggled, the chain holding it down held, Ichigo wiping a bit of sweat of his brow from the concentration.

"Looks like it was worth mastering Fullbring in the end," he said, his eyes completely focused on the Cerberus. "The Partial form is a lot stronger than it was now."

"You mastered Fullbring?" said Uryuu, still staring at the tsuba.

"Yeah," said Ichigo. "I was surprised to get the tsuba back when I brought out the Partial form though. I was expecting the berserk form like last time."

"Wait," said Uryuu as he tried to comprehend what he was hearing. "The last time you brought it out was when it was still in the Berserk form? How did you finish the training while waiting for it to return to normal?"

"It returns to normal?" said Ichigo in surprise. "I just trained earlier till I finished it."

'That's not normal,' thought Uryuu. 'Everyone who has been taught knows to wait till the Berserk form disappears before continuing to train. And that can take at least a month or two. The chance of completing the training with a Berserk Fullbring without dying is almost unheard of.'

He snapped out of his thoughts when he realised something. "Wait. You said earlier? When?"

"Huh?" said Ichigo as he focused on holding the Cerberus down. "I finished it after the exams. I couldn't get any training in between then and the forest."

Uryuu stared at him strangely. 'That isn't normal. From the look of him, he seems to have recovered from whatever training he did earlier. To have completed it in one session from the state it was in and to already be back up to full strength…"

"Hey Uryuu," shouted Ichigo, interrupting his trail of thought.

"What is it," Uryuu snapped.

"If you're done thinking, can you look for where we are supposed to go? I can't hold this thing done forever." As if agreeing with Ichigo, the Cerberus struggled even more than before, the chains holding it down starting to protest under the force.

Realising Ichigo was right, Uryuu scoured the room for any sign of an exit. The only door he could see though was the one they had come through. "The others got past here," muttered Uryuu as he checked the ceiling. "That means that there can't be anything too difficult. No illusions or secret bricks. It has to be something simpler."

As the Cerberus struggled, Uryuu suddenly spotted it. Below one of its paws was a wooden trapdoor. The entrance to the trapdoor had been left open it seemed as the door had been smashed by the paw when it had landed on it.

"Ichigo," Uryuu called. "You need to send it back slightly."

Ichigo frowned for a moment before seeing what Uryuu had spotted and grinned. Gripping the tsuba in his hands, he send it flying towards the Cerberus, the chain holding the creature detonating as the tsuba was about to connect. The tsuba did the same as it connected with the main body, sending the Cerberus back against the wall nearby. It hadn't moved far but it was enough.

Before the Cerberus could get back to its feet in time, the two boys had lunged for the hole, jumping straight down before it could reach them.

The two fell quickly, the sounds of barking slowly growing quieter with every second. Their fall didn't last long though as they suddenly landed on a soft plant of some kind.

As if sensing them, the plant responded almost instantaneously. Tendrils from the plant shot out from everywhere around them, hoping to grab the plant's prey before it could escape.

Uryuu was faster though. He had been caught off guard with the Cerberus. Not this time though. The pen he had brought out as he was falling glowed before the scythe he had used against Grand Fisher appeared in his hands. His hands swung the scythe around him, the edge of the scythe cutting through the plant with ease as it fell to pieces around them.

Realising the danger posed to itself, the plant immediately retracted all around them, despotising them below onto the hard ground. Ichigo wasn't as lucky as Uryuu who was prepared for it and ended up sprawled across the ground.

"I'm going to kill you Ishida," he muttered quietly as he picked himself up to face the smirking Quincy.

"Devil snare," said Uryuu as he looked up at the plant above them. "Obliviously a mutated strain, highly likely to have been created by Professor Sprout. It normally doesn't attack so suddenly and instead waits until you start struggling."

"How did Harry and the others get past such a thing? They don't have access to Fullbring."

"Maybe a fire spell," said Uryuu helpfully. "Though I don't think that would have worked for us. It was too aggressive to let a little bit of fire to stop it."

"Let's keep going," Ichigo said as he checked out the area they were in. The only way they could go it seemed was forward down the single stone corridor nearby. As the two ran down it, they noticed they were slowly going further down. It made them wonder where they were exactly since they had already gone quite far down from the fall. They could be miles under the school and they wouldn't even know it. Eventually though, they could hear a faint sound of clinking and rustling ahead.

As they entered the chamber ahead, they were greeted to the sight of a massive number of keys flying in the air, the ceiling stretching high above them.

"You would need to have the eyes of a seeker to find the one key you need," muttered Ichigo as he scowled at the number of them. There was a single door ahead of them and he doubt it could be unlocked without the correct key.

"A seeker's eye," whispered Uryuu. "It couldn't be that simple could it?"

"What is it," Ichigo asked. "You got an idea?"

"Huh," said Uryuu, forgetting Ichigo was there for a moment. "No, it's nothing. I'm just wondering though. With all these keys, you would look for the right one, correct?"

"Yeah," said Ichigo confused. "Isn't that the point?"

"Maybe," said Uryuu as he stepped towards the door. He placed a hand on it for a moment before crouching down by the keyhole. Before Ichigo could ask what he was doing, he whipped something out of his pocket and started fiddling with the keyhole. A moment later and the door swung open.

"What…" Uryuu turned round to see Ichigo staring at him, his mouth hung open in shock.

Uryuu pushed his glasses up as he shoved the item he had taken out back into his pocket. "Let's move on," he finally said, ignoring the obvious stare he was getting.

"Don't redirect the question," demanded Ichigo. "How did you do that?"

"It is just a bit of manipulation of the lock's components-"

"Lock picking," interrupted Ichigo. "I didn't think someone like you would know how to do that."

"What does that mean?" Uryuu protested. "Besides, I thought it could come in handy. You never know when you need to pick a lock."

"The slogan of all future criminals," Ichigo muttered quietly. "But how could something so simple open the door," he asked, obviously puzzled at what had happened.

Uryuu smirked as he stared at the door. "It is rather simple really. There is so many keys here that the obvious thing to do is look for the right one. The door was resistant to damage from what I could tell and the lock would no doubt be resistant to the Alohomora charm. Lock picking is a way around that since you can bypass the lock's magic. All it was doing was rejecting magical interference of the locking mechanism, not muggle interference."

"I see." Ichigo stared at him but didn't make any other comments.

The two set of down through the open door, heading to the next room. A small corridor separated the two but the door wasn't far ahead. Before Ichigo could move to open it, Uryuu grabbed his arm.

"Wait," he said. "We've got two people in there."

"So," Ichigo said impatiently. "We need to hurry."

"What are they going to say if we use Fullbring?" asked Uryuu. "We can't afford to explain it to them. When we head through, be careful that they don't see us. If need be, activate your Fullbring to its full power. Hopefully the Clad form of it will be able to hide your identity from them."

"Fine then. Don't speak though if we are doing it that way then. They could recognise our voices, even if our appearance is hidden."

The two nodded to each other in agreement, entering through the door carefully.

As they entered, they hid behind the rubble of what seemed to be the remains of a chest piece. They peaked out slightly to see Hermione looking after an unconscious Ron. Before they could reveal themselves and ask where Harry was, the white pieces glowed as they slowly reformed into the chest pieces. The black pieces remained the same however and the white pieces slowly began to step off their stands and move forward, heading for the two first years.

"What's going on," Ichigo said quietly to Uryuu. "The pieces look like they are going to kill them."

"We must have triggered something," said Uryuu as he turned to Ichigo in realisation. "It's you. I thought something was off. The traps were too tough for first years to get past unless something changed. The traps are responding to you."

"What are you talking about?"

Uryuu shook his head. "There's no time. Those two won't know what hit them. I'll deal with this here while you move ahead."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo looked over to the sixteen pieces, all drawing their respective weapons. "There's a lot of them."

"Please Kurosaki," said Uryuu as he pulled his pen out of his pocket. "Leave this to me."

The pen glowed before the light completely covered Uryuu. As it finally cleared, Ichigo saw what had happened. Uryuu now was dressed in a pure white outfit, a white coat over it that linked round across his chest with a single strap. Over the coat was a black metal harness that was wrapped round his chest. On the back of it were two ports of some kind, open to allow something to exit.

On his face was a white mask, looking a lot like a skull. It was a lot similar to Kugo's mask, though it was much more elegant in its design. In his hands was the scythe he had wielded before, resting easily against the ground as he stood.

In his mind, Ichigo was quickly comparing the Fullbring with Kugo's Cross of Scaffold. The two were completely different despite the fact that they followed the same training to create them.

"Five seconds."

Ichigo snapped out of his mind as he heard Uryuu speak. He looked at Uryuu questionably.

"You will need to move the moment she can't see," Uryuu expanded. "You will know when."

A scream was heard as the two turned towards the sound. It was Hermione but it wasn't directed at Uryuu. She had finally noticed the chest pieces and the first of the pawns were almost upon her. She was struggling to pull Ron away with her as she retreated backwards.

One of the pawns intercepted her and swung with its two short swords. They descended on the girl as she shut her eyes in fear. A clanging sound was heard though and, as she opened her eyes, she saw Uryuu's Fullbring form in front of her, the scythe cutting through the pawn that had attacked her.

The other pawns quickly surrounded them, a knight following up behind them. Some of the pawns had realised that their swords wouldn't be enough and had exchanged one for the shield on their back. The knight meanwhile had a spiked ball on a chain and was ready to charge at them.

An unspoken signal was given and the seven pawns charged him as fast as they could, the knight right behind them. Uryuu brought his scythe round in a sweeping arc, aiming to take out the first three of the pawns with one swing. The pawns raised their shields to no avail as the scythe cut through them like butter.

The four pawns left had begun to lunge at him while he was distracted taking down the first three. As one of the swords swiped at him, Uryuu jumped above the blade and kicked off the shield the pawn was holding, using it as a springboard.

Another pawn tried to get him while he was in the air only for him to block the strike easily and cut the pawn in half. Two of them attacked him from either side, hoping to land a hit. Uryuu struck out at one though and used the momentum of his swing to avoid the other's strike. The pawn that had attacked was unable to pull back in time and meet the same fate.

The last pawn left tried to go for Hermione instead but barely moved before Uryuu was behind it, the scythe cutting it into pieces.

The knight got behind Uryuu though in his distraction and swung down at him with its weapon. Uryuu brought up the pole of the scythe to block only for the chain to wrap around the pole and tried to pull it from his grip.

Uryuu dropped his resistance to the force and moved towards the knight. The knight realised what was happening but it was too late. The blade of the scythe connected into its stone chest and dragged along it, cutting it in half.

Uryuu pulled back to his position guarding Hermione as the knight in front of him fell to the ground. He carefully watched out for the other pieces, waiting for them to move.

'Two castles, one knight, two bishops, a queen and a king,' he thought as he examined them. 'That knight was harder than the pawns. I better get serious.'

Light blue energy shot of from the ports on the back of the harness. The energy poured out as it slowly took the form of two wings, one on either side. Details slowly formed as more energy was added till the original transparency of the wings became solid. When the energy finally stabilised, Uryuu was left with two wings of light blue feathers, each feather glowing slightly from the energy it was made from. The wings reached down to knees and, as he spread them out, they ended up having a small wingspan, each wing stretching out to be just a bit longer than his arm.

Hermione stared up in shock of the sight in front of her. Part of her mind thought she was already dead as the being in front of her almost resembled an angel.

Before she could say anything, the wings wrapped seemed to suddenly extend even more, wrapping round her and Ron to leave them with Uryuu in a sphere of the feathers. Uryuu placed his scythe against the ground and closed his eyes in focus, the blade glowing brightly. He counted to five in his head before the wings shot open and returned to their normal length.

He had to instantly dodge as the wings closed, the crook of one of the bishops striking out at him. Uryuu rolled to the side before launching a strike upwards at the bishop. Before it could connect though, it hit the shield of one of the castles. The shield held firm and the blade only managed to cut part way through it before stopping.

'As expected,' thought Uryuu as he pulled his scythe back. 'These are the specialists. The castle must have higher level defensive runes on it.'

Swinging his scythe around, he shot towards the castle, the bishop nearby intercepting him. Uryuu smirked as he ducked under the bishop's quick strike and cut the crook in half before going to slash the rest of it to pieces. The castle nearby stabbed at him with his sword, grazing Uryuu on his arm as it passed. Uryuu ignored the faint pain and used the situation to his advantage, finishing the castle off before it could bring up its powerful defence.

A scream came to his ears as he turned towards Hermione. He hadn't even realised they had been luring him away from her. Now the other knight and bishop were moving to capture her.

'Smart. If you can't beat me easily, take the correct moves to ensure that you can.'

Uryuu kicked off the ground, using a small amount of Bringer Light to accelerate himself. The wings did the rest, flapping as he flew towards Hermione. The knight, seeing his approach, reached towards Hermione to grab her but Uryuu got there too quickly. No sooner was he behind the knight that he had passed it, the scythe cutting straight through unopposed due to the speed he was going at.

The bishop launched a few strikes to try and wound him but it fell as easily as the last one. All it took was for it to overextend itself and it was quickly dismantled.

Uryuu turned his attention to the remaining three. The castle stood protecting the king as it approached, the two handed sword that it held ready for battle. The queen led the charge with a spear, stabbing forward with great speed and precision despite the large size of the stone piece.

Uryuu struggled to dodge the point of the spear as it stabbed forward multiple times, the weapon leaving a few glancing blows on his outfit. He was lucky the Fullbring could block the physical damage but it won't last forever if he kept taking hits. It wasn't that kind of armour.

As the spear shot towards him again, he jumped up at the last second and let his feet smack into the spear. The point of the spear smashed into the ground as Uryuu flew forward before the queen could recover. Instead of slashing the queen to pieces though, he stabbed the blade into the stone and left it in there for a few moments. The queen didn't move, as if the magic powering it had been drained completely.

The king and remaining castle were all that remained as they approached. Uryuu looked down at the scythe's blade and held back a smirk as he saw that it was ready. He pulled back the scythe to show that the blade had gotten even brighter than before. It was almost like the blade itself was made from the same energy that the wings were made of.

He brought back the scythe and laid it on his shoulders as he watched the two pieces. They seemed to be watching him as well, the king drawing the shield from its back after a moment. It held the two handed sword in one hand just as well as it did with both.

Uryuu smiled behind his mask as he brought the scythe down in front of him. His left arm came up for the pole of the scythe to rest on as he gripped the pole with his right. He slowly crouched as the blade dug into the ground slightly.

The castle and king seemed to realise something was wrong as the castle brought its shield up in front of itself, determined to protect its king. The king piece had even brought up its shield, as if it was afraid about what was about to happen.

'As they should be,' thought Uryuu smugly. 'After all, we Quincy are first and foremost archers.'

As if on command, the end of the pole opened up as all the energy on the blade flowed up towards the hole and was released from it in one shot. The blast fired straight towards the castle, exploding on impact. Dust scattered into the air around the two pieces from the attack and Uryuu struggled to not be thrown back from the scythe from the attack. The recoil from the shot was always annoying.

When the dust finally cleared, it revealed the two destroyed pieces. The shot had pierced through both shields and bodies, blasting the tops of the pieces completely off. The entire upper body had been reduced to nothing but rubble.

Uryuu checked around, counting off each piece in his head as he made sure he got them all and that some weren't playing possum.

"Thank you," came a quiet voice. Uryuu turned to the source to see it was Hermione. He didn't dare say anything though. The girl was too smart for her own good.

He settled for giving her a swift nod before he marched over to the door that would take him onwards. Hermione called after him, asking to make sure Potter was alright but he wasn't listening. He took a glance at the place he and Ichigo had hidden behind and was pleased to see that Ichigo had moved when he had given him the chance. Now hopefully the idiot would have dealt with the threat up ahead. If not, he needed to hurry.

* * *

As Ichigo entered the next chamber, he was treated to a disgusting smell. Not far in front of him was a troll. A massive bruise could be seen on the troll's head as it lay on the ground.

"Let's see," said Ichigo to himself as he started walking into the room. "Uryuu said the traps were responding to me. What will this room respond with?"

The room seemed to hear his question as the troll began to stir from its slumber. Ichigo took one look at the troll and ran to the door. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that he could handle the troll. He beat the last one he encountered, even if he was heavily wounded in the process. There just wasn't any time to spare fighting the troll when he needed to move. The next person could handle it. He made sure to repress the knowledge that Uryuu would be following after him and would have to deal with an angry troll himself. Uryuu could blame him later.

He slammed the door behind him as he left, just able to get out before the troll spotted him. Not wasting any time, he rushed down the new corridor to reach the next task.

"Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell," Ichigo muttered as he counted of the Professors he believed the tasks were each from. "Who next? Snape?"

His guess seemed to be spot on as he entered the next room, purple flames appearing behind him as he entered to stop him from retreating. In front of him, black flames appeared as well, barring the way forward. Ichigo took a look around the room and approached a small table in front of him. On it, a small note had been placed on the table:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting in line,_

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end;_

_But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant hold death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

"A riddle?" Ichigo asked. "This is meant to protect the stone. Why give clues in the first place?"

Ichigo looked back at the note and then back to the potions in front of him. The problem was that there wasn't just one table in front of him with the layout. The room seemed to be full of them. Never mind if he got the right bottle type, there was still the matter of working out which table held the right one.

"Never!"

Ichigo spun round to face the black flames where he had heard Harry's voice come from. Something was wrong up ahead if the cries of "Seize him" were anything to go by.

He let his gaze alternate between the riddle and the black flames before he dropped the riddle back onto the original table and walked towards the flames. He stood in front of them before his Fullbring activated and completely covered him. The moment it did, he something that the people ahead of him would never expect.

He ran straight through the flames.

* * *

Quirrell obeyed his master as he grabbed the Potter boy. He didn't expect the searing pain that he received. The boy's skin was like poison to him as long as his master inhabited him, yet he knew if his master left him now, he would die.

As Harry lunged for Quirrell, he fired off the spell he had used before to restrain the boy before and ropes appeared into existence around the boy. Quirrell stood over Harry as he prepared to cast the spell that would end his life. Would he use a cutting curse and cause the boy to bleed out? Or maybe just grant him the painless death caused by the Avada Kedavra curse.

"Kill him," came his master's voice. "Quickly."

Quirrell nodded to the command and prepared to cast his spell. Harry looked up at him terrified, but was powerless to do anything as he struggled against the bonds.

"Avada Kedavra."

The curse shot out of his wand and flew towards Harry. All Harry saw was that green light and then it all went black.

'Wait,' thought Harry in shock. 'I'm still alive?' His vision cleared slightly to see that the blackness was just from the figure in front of him.

Quirrell stared at the figure in front of him in shock, almost dropping his wand. The figure in front of him wasn't tall. It was the same size of Harry, if not a bit taller. It looked male yet there was nothing he could see apart from that. A strange cloak of black energy covered the… thing from head to toe. Over the head of whoever he was, the cloak had formed a hood of some kind and, when the figure looked up, all he could spot was a flash of white.

Around the right arm, the energy had hardened to form a blade of some kind around the arm and extended of it. There seemed to be the remains of flames all over the cloak yet the flames were slowly disappearing as the cloak simply discarded the energy touching the flames to separate the flames from the person beneath the cloak.

What was terrifying him though was that the thing had cut straight through the killing curse like it was nothing. The curse was meant to be unable to be blocked by magic yet this person had done the impossible. And the cloak around him, it practically radiated magic. What kind of power could do such a thing.

"Intriguing," came Voldemort's voice as he sorting through Quirrel's memories. "Those were the flames of Amaterasu you passed through. Not even I dared walk through them without the correct potion. The flames are said to burn for seven days and seven nights. How did you survive? What is this magic of yours?"

Ichigo stayed quiet as he stood in front of Harry. Without saying a word, he picked up Harry and carried him back up the stairs to one of the pillars by the entrance. Voldemort and Quirrell seemed content to wait as he placed Harry done out of the way before he walked back down the stairs of the chamber.

"You want him out of the way?" asked Voldemort surprised. "I can leave him aside for now. Quirrell."

"Yes master," Quirrell answered. "Stupefy." A jet of scarlet light shot from his wand and flew past Ichigo towards Harry. The moment it connected, Harry collapsed to the ground.

Ichigo let out a silent sigh as he saw the spell only knocked Harry unconscious. He thought that was what it did from what he had heard and seen from the upper years yet he hadn't been completely sure. Now that he was out of the way though, he didn't need to worry about him.

"Let me see him properly," Voldemort snapped at Quirrell, tired of seeing the memories only. Quirrell obliged and turned to reveal the snake like face on the back of his head, the red eyes observing Ichigo carefully.

"You have caught my attention," Voldemort finally said. "I don't make this offer likely. Join me. Your magic will help me change this world for the better. Join me and you will have a place at my side in the new world."

Ichigo stared at Voldemort impassively yet inside, he was trying not to hurl. The man wanted him to join him and rid the world of the 'impure'? Disgusting.

"No?" said Voldemort when he saw no movement to accept from Ichigo. "Fine then. I'll kill you and find out myself what this magic of yours is. A cloak of pure energy like yours will benefit me greatly."

Quirrell suddenly spun round and fired off a spell at Ichigo. Right before it hit, Ichigo disappeared from where was standing, the ground crumpling where he had stood.

Quirrell spun round wildly, looking for him when Voldemort shouted out at him. "Above you fool!"

Before Quirrell could cast a spell, Ichigo was slashing down at him with the blade on his arm. Only years of experience allowed Quirrell to recover as he rolled to the side to avoid the strike. Coming out of the roll, Quirrell launched a few spells off, most of them being avoided by Ichigo as they approached. A few of the spells hit though and exploded as they collided with the energy around Ichigo.

Quirrell swore silently as Ichigo flew out of the smoke, the spells not having done much damage. Ichigo swung down again and pushed Quirrell onto the defensive. He wasn't able to cast many spells as he was pushed back, having to rely on summoning objects from around him to block the strikes.

Finding a free moment, Quirrell pointed his wand down at the ground. "Fumos Duo."

Thick smoke appeared from the end of his wand and covered the two, obscuring their view of each other. Ichigo jumped backwards out of the smoke only to find Quirrell ready, his wand pointed at his chest, almost touching.

"Reducto."

The spell shot out and hit Ichigo point blank, firing him back against the wall. The energy around him held firm for a moment before part of the armour around his leg broke off and disappeared.

Not wasting his advantage, Quirrell cast a volley of lethal curses at Ichigo. The killing curse almost hit him a few times as well, Ichigo not even daring to block it with anything but the energy blade. Whether it was instinct or not telling him, he trusted it anyway. The killing curse was deadly for a reason. A short burst of Bringer Light and he was free only for a large fire spell to connect with him.

As the spell disappeared, the energy around him had weakened even more from having to protect the wielder from all sides. It held for a moment before the other leg lost its protection.

"It seems your armour isn't as tough as I thought," sneered Voldemort as Quirrell positioned himself in front of the mirror so his master could see. "I've already seen the limitations of it. You can resist the effects of my spells but there is a limit to it. Already, you have lost the energy around your legs in order to protect the rest of your body. Surrender now and your death will be painless."

Ichigo scowled at the man in front of him, despite the fact that they couldn't see it. He knew now why the Wizarding World had feared the man. He wasn't just powerful, he was smart. He had already worked out how to counter his Fullbring and was pushing him back bit by bit. If he didn't end this soon, he would be out of energy to use.

'No choice,' thought Ichigo. 'I need to use that attack.'

Quirrell made to cast a spell when Ichigo shot towards him. In his haste, the killing curse left his wand only for it to shatter like the others. The Fullbring seemed to be reaching its limit though as the energy around Ichigo's left side broke off, leaving him with nothing put the energy around his right arm and his upper body. As the spell broke apart, Ichigo accelerated towards Quirrell with Bringer Light, slashing down at the man.

Quirrell conjured a shield as the blade came down and it caught the blade in it. He let out a sigh of relief until his eyes grew wide. The energy around the blade increased tenfold suddenly, part of the Fullbring on Ichigo's chest sacrificing itself to the attack. The energy flew widely around the blade before it struck out towards Quirrell and completely engulfed him.

Ichigo jumped back as he detached his sword from the shield and watched the energy disappear around Quirrell. The man had large burns all over his body and was struggling to stand. The worst part was that his wand arm had caught most of the blast and had been severed clear off. The only reason there wasn't a pool of blood all over the floor was that the energy from the blast had burned the wound shut. Eventually, Quirrell didn't bother trying to keep standing and collapsed to his knees, his remaining hand supporting him from crashing down to the ground.

Voldemort screamed insults at Ichigo but he wasn't paying attention. He was focusing more on the damage. The attack had cut into the ground around Quirrell as well and continued on. It had even connected with the mirror behind him, leaving a large slash along the glass.

Voldemort's screams slowly quieted as Quirrell's started. Ichigo turned to them shocked to see Voldemort separating himself from Quirrell. The latter seemed to be dying from the process and, as the spirit of Voldemort left him, he collapsed to the ground, dead.

"If this body is unable to give me what I need, I will take yours." Voldemort flew at Ichigo only to freeze as the blade cut part of his wraithlike form.

'He cut me?' Voldemort though. He slowly retreated backwards until he fled the school. It had been a long time since he had felt what he was feeling. He hadn't believed anything could harm him in this state yet it seemed he had been wrong. Was this what fear felt like?

'No,' Voldemort screamed in his head. 'I am Lord Voldemort. I fear nothing. I will make those two pay. Harry Potter will regret taking the stone from me and that creature will regret crossing me.' He fled from the school and over the forest, unaware of the eyes watching him escape.

Ichigo looked at the dead body of his old professor before moving to check on Harry. He was the same as before it seemed luckily.

"So you dealt with it then?"

Ichigo turned to the flames to see Uryuu walking through them, a small bottle in his hand.

"Yeah," said Ichigo, letting his Fullbring drop. He grimaced slightly as he saw the sight of his right arm. The entire sleeve had been burned off and the skin has turned black.

Uryuu looked at Ichigo's arm for a moment before shaking his head. "That looks bad. We'll get you up to the Hospital Wing after this. By the way, you saw an angel with a scythe on the way here."

"What?"

"An angel with a scythe," Uryuu repeated. "If anyone asks, we need to have seen our Fullbring forms as if we watching them save the others. What does yours look like?"

Ichigo scratched his head for a moment before he spoke. "A figure cloaked in black energy."

"Huh?"

"You heard me. That's the simplest way to describe it."

"I see." Uryuu shook his head at the image. In his opinion, it would have been better if the energy had been white.

"Never mind that," said Ichigo as he prodded Harry. "How do we wake him up? Or better yet, how do we get back through the flames."

Uryuu looked at the flames for a moment before his eyes glanced along the walls nearby. Without explaining, he walked towards one of the bricks and took out his wand to tap it. The moment he did so, the flames shrunk into the ground and allowed them access to the previous room.

"Should I ask how you knew that?" said Ichigo, not bothered by the fact that he knew Uryuu wouldn't answer that.

"Let's g-" Uryuu froze midsentence as he looked down into the room he was in. He had missed it when he had entered but now he could see it, in all its glory.

"Hey Uryuu," Ichigo said, waving his hand in front of the other's eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Get out of here now," Uryuu said as he spun round to face him. "We need to leave."

"What's the matter?" repeated Ichigo as he followed where Uryuu's gaze had been directed. His breath caught in his throat as he saw it.

His mother was in the mirror with him and his family. Everyone was there. Karin and Yuzu, his mother stood by him with his dad, Kisuke standing to the side of his father. Sosuke was nearby too with Kugo and his Grandfather and his friends were even to one side as well. Even Uryuu was in there, though he had already realised he was seeing the Ravenclaw as one of his friends.

He shook his head lightly, his gaze not leaving the mirror. "It's not real," he muttered as he stared into the mirror. "It's just like that Hollow's lure. It isn't really her."

"Let's leave Ichigo," Uryuu said urgently. He didn't like the look the mirror was giving Ichigo's reflection. It looked almost hungry, but curious as well. As if he was looking at an interesting toy to play with.

Before Uryuu could stop him, Ichigo had started taking steps down towards the mirror.

"Ichigo," he called after Ichigo, hurrying to stop him. "It's not real. You need to get away from the mirror now."

"I know that," scowled Ichigo, his fists clenched and his movements sluggish. "I'm trying but my body won't respond."

Uryuu froze as he stared from the mirror towards Ichigo. His own desire had been strong enough to continuously bring him back to the mirror, despite the knowledge of the effect it was having. Ichigo's desire was even greater than his own. If his theory was correct, the mirror was using that intense desire to override Ichigo's mind and pull him towards it.

"Uryuu," Ichigo shouted over to him. "How did you knock me out in the forest?"

"Is this the time for that," he shouted back as he grabbed hold of him and tried to pull him back. "Wait…" His mind realised what Ichigo was meaning and he placed one of his hands on Ichigo's shoulder. "I understand."

Ichigo felt the pressure around him increase and lowered any resistances he put up against it. "Thank," he muttered quietly as he collapsed.

Uryuu sighed as he crouched down to Ichigo to make sure he was okay. Just as he finished, he felt multiple presences about to appear. He turned to the entrance just in time to see the Professors arrive. And leading them in was the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

I hope you guys didn't have to wait too long for this. I had originally planned to split this up when I finished Uryuu's fight but then I decided against it. I should have enough content for the next chapter anyway and it was better to have the whole Philosopher's Stone trip in one go.

I'll have answers for the way the traps responded in detail next chapter. You can still guess if you want and I will tell you if you are right or not.

A big thank you to Isame Kuroda for giving me help with Uryuu's Fullbring. My original plan a few weeks ago had a bow or something similar. Imagine how boring that would have been.

So next chapter, we see the end of the first year. Look forward to it. I have a very big surprise planned for you guys as well.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	18. A Stone, a Sword, and a Man

Sorry this took a while. Excuses are down at the end of the story. You can read that after you are done as it also has some news you should know about this story. Anyway, enjoy chapter 18.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**18 - A Stone, a Sword, and a Man**

As the world stopped spinning, Dumbledore found himself staring at the open air before him. Fields of grass covered the ground and mountains encased the area, hiding the place from any unwanted guests. A stone brick path lead down to the fields nearby, and across them, a small cottage waited at the end of the path.

A lot of work had been done on the cottage and it was visible to all as well. There were newer designs taken from the muggles but there were also traces of other designs too. Victorian, renaissance, even a bit of medieval design was present in the architecture.

The headmaster took in these sights as he travelled towards the cottage. Nicolas was truly unlike anyone he had ever met. He had lived for so long yet was as active as a man twice as young as himself. And just as powerful.

Not many people truly realised Nicolas's strength. He was known as the greatest Alchemist in the world yet people forgot that since it wasn't seen to be as deadly as other branches of magic. They would be thinking differently if they saw this place though. The area may look peaceful but it was covered in layer after layer of wards, wards unlike anything he had ever seen or was even capable of understanding.

He was sure they must have been Alchemical in origin. Alchemy had always been a strange type of magic. Very few understood it and very few tried to. It was one bound by rules and laws, requiring a detailed understanding of the natural world. It was quite unlike any other branch of magic that he had ever come across and had few true masters left due to this. As the number of users decreased, fewer Wizards and Witches learned the secrets of the art and hence, because of this, knowledge back lost. Few Alchemists this day and age could hope to beat Nicolas. He had a few hundred years to practice the art and rediscover what may have been lost.

'Yes,' thought Dumbledore. 'I was lucky to have studied under Nicolas.' He just hoped his old friend wouldn't be too upset about what he was going to ask to do.

As he approached the door, preparing to knock, it swung open, revealing a young looking man in the doorway. He wore blood red robes and had long brown hair tied back behind him.

"Albus," he greeted happily, drawing the man in for a hug. "How have you been my old friend?"

"I have been well Nicolas," Dumbledore responded. "May I come in?"

Nicolas stared at him intently for a moment before he gestured towards the door. "Best take this to the study then."

Nicolas led Dumbledore into the cottage, the latter looking around as he passed certain objects.

"Your collection has increased," he commented, forcing himself to move past the magical artefacts.

"What can I say," Nicolas shrugged. "Perenelle has always loved the remains of other cultures. She always tells me that if we understand the past, we can avoid making the same mistakes they did." His gaze dropped for a moment, his shoulders sagging.

Dumbledore looked as his friend softly. Nicolas never liked to talk about the past. He was a secretive man about some things and this was one of them. Said that the past was the past and that it has no relevance when it comes to the future. Yet at the same time, he always looked so sad when he thought about his past. Perenelle was the opposite in a way. She always believed that the past would be the key to the future and that they needed to understand it. But at the same time, she also refused to ever comment on her own history.

So caught up in his thoughts, he didn't even notice they had already arrived at Nicolas's study. He quickly picked a chair and brought it over to the desk Nicolas was sitting behind. They sat facing each other for a moment, neither of them saying anything except to thank Perenelle when she came in with some tea for them.

"So I'm guessing this isn't just a casual visit Albus?" Nicolas finally said.

"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore said gravely.

"Well then," said Nicolas impatiently. "What is it? What's happened?"

"You remember asking me to keep the stone safe?" asked Dumbledore.

"Of course," came the reply. "We suspected Voldemort would go after it in order to recreate his old body. We were right as well. I got a message about the break in at Gringotts."

"Just last night, he made a second attempt at Hogwarts as well."

"Really?" asked Nicolas curiously. "How did he manage to even get into the castle? The castle wards should have kept him out."

"Unless they couldn't detect him," said Dumbledore cryptically. Nicolas looked confused for a second before understanding filled his face.

"He fused with someone didn't he," he said. "Makes sense. The wards of Hogwarts are powerful but they can't detect him when he hides his own soul behind someone else's. He's smart to exploit such a weakness."

"I don't think he truly knew. Only the headmaster and a few others know the exact ward configuration that exists around the grounds, and I know for certain that Tom isn't one of them. I doubt he will make the connection."

Nicolas let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Hogwarts can't afford to fall to him. It wouldn't end well."

"I know. Just think of the damage that could be done if Tom controlled the school. The students are one of the most deadly weapons that can exist. A blank slate ready to be written on. Whatever you teach them can affect their attitude towards others for generations."

"It's not the students I'm worried about," Nicolas said, his eyes unfocused as he lost himself in a memory. "The school cannot fall. It's too dangerous."

Dumbledore almost asked what he meant by that but he knew that he wouldn't get an answer. Nicolas wouldn't explain, he knew that, and part of him didn't want to know. Despite their appearances, he forgot sometimes that Nicolas was the older one, the one with more experiences. Not all of them were bound to have been nice ones.

"So what happened?" Nicolas said suddenly. "Did he get past your traps?"

"Yes and no." Dumbledore shook his head as he spoke. "I thought the majority of the traps would delay him. I never held much hope for Fluffy-"

"Fluffy?" Dumbledore looked up to find Nicolas struggling not to laugh. "You mean that three headed dog of Hagrid's is called Fluffy?"

"Indeed. Hagrid has a habit of finding the most dangerous creatures in the world to be adorable."

"So Hagrid's trap failed. What about the others?"

"Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, and Professor McGonagall had decent enough tasks designed but they underestimated the power Quirrell had. In their defence, it was a reasonable mistake. Quirrell never showed that he was that talented. Even I had no idea he had increased in strength so much."

"Expected," said Nicolas. "Being fused with Voldemort would have increased his strength far beyond what it originally was. There would be fluctuation sure, but it can be easily fixed with some kind of magical catalyst. Unicorn blood could do it. I'm guessing Severus held him up for a while with his task though?"

"Of course," said Dumbledore proudly. "Severus suspected from the start that Quirrell was stronger than he was originally. His task was relying on not just logic but luck. Quirrell would have been held up while he identified each of the bottles available, trying to work out which of them was the correct safe one. At the same time, he placed Amaterasu flames in the doorway to prevent him from going forward without the correct potion."

"Impressive. How did he do it? Did he link the flames to a ward stone or just enchant the entrance to produce the flames." Dumbledore made to speak when Nicolas held up a hand. "Actually, never mind. It's not that important. The last task was yours correct?"

"Yes. I'm glad to say that it stopped him completely. The only one who could get the stone was someone who wanted to find the stone, but not use it. One of my greatest ideas I must say."

Nicolas couldn't help but laugh. "Not very humble are you Albus, but I agree. That is brilliant. Even after all these years, you still impress me. I sometimes even thought you were something more than a wizard."

Dumbledore stared at Nicolas in confusion. "More than a wizard?"

"Ah, it's not that important," Nicolas said once again. "Just ramblings from an old man."

"I see." Dumbledore slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a blood red stone. "As for why I am here-"

"I understand," Nicolas said sadly. "You are trying to convince me to die."

"Nicolas…"

"It's alright Albus," Nicolas said as he looked down at the stone. "I understand why. The stone is far too dangerous to exist and must be destroyed. Do you mind?" He lifted himself up out of his chair slowly before leaving the room, leaving Albus to wait for him to return. He came back a moment later with a sword in his hands.

The sword was elegant in its design. A long straight blade, which looked like it had been polished recently, was connected to a straight golden crossguard that curved slightly as it extended out. The hilt was covered with brown leather with golden crosses along it and a golden circular pommel at the end of it. What really caught Dumbledore's attention though was the engraved writing on the blade. Yet no matter how hard he looked at it, he couldn't recognise the writing at all. How old was the blade?

"Very old," answered Nicolas, seeing the curious looks his friend was showing. "You won't be able to read it. The writing is so old that the translations have been lost to time itself. This blade will be sharp enough to pierce the stone and destroy it forever. Any other method will leave a trace of the stone behind and even the smallest piece can be deadly if it fell into the wrong hands."

"What kind of metal is it made of? Goblin steel?"

"Something stronger," muttered Nicolas. "Though it was reinforced a bit more than it normally would have been." Bringing the blade to the desk, he aimed it at the stone before he brought the blade down on it. The moment the blade was about to hit the stone however, he froze.

Nicolas tilted his head as he stared at the stone curiously. His hand slowly reached towards the stone and picked it up carefully before bringing it to his forehead.

"Albus," he said carefully, fear in his eyes. "Where do you hide the stone?"

"The third fl-"

"Not the area," Nicolas interrupted urgently. "The last task. In order to hide the stone and do what you did, you would need a storage area for the stone to be kept in. A separate dimension contained within the object you would hid the stone in. It would be big enough so that it can't be moved easily yet small enough so you can focus the magic into the smaller area to increase the power of the enchantment. What was this storage area?"

"The only thing I could find to keep the stone safe, yet still use the enchantment to limit the access to the stone, was this large mirror."

"No," Nicolas muttered, his eyes wide in fear. "Please no."

"It was called the Mirror of Erised."

The sword fell from Nicolas's hands and plunged into the floor. Nicolas charged forward and grabbed the front of Dumbledore's robes. "Please tell me you are joking Albus," he begged. "Please."

"I'm guessing you had a bad experience with the mirror," Dumbledore said, unsure of where this fear was coming from. "I can understand the caution needed with this mirror and the need to avoid it. I'm scared of it as well but it was the only thing that could defend the stone. All my other tests could either not hold the enchantment long enough and shattered or were not strong to stop the enchantment from being broken."

"It isn't meant to be tampered with," screamed Nicolas. He let go of Dumbledore's robes as he tried to calm himself. "Let's calm down a second. No need to overreact. Things might still be okay. The mirror, what has it been doing? Has it acted any differently since you placed the stone in it?"

"Nicolas, I don't und-"

"Please Albus," he pleaded. "We don't have much time left."

Dumbledore watched the old Alchemist strangely. What was so dangerous about the mirror that he didn't know about? Better yet, how did Nicolas even know about it? He himself had only found it recently in Hogwarts but, by his knowledge, he had never seen or heard of Nicolas attending or even visiting Hogwarts.

"The mirror has acted differently," he said finally, willing to let Nicolas explain after he was done. "It usually lures people in, showing them their heart's desires. But ever since last night, it has all changed. It still changes images but the pull that it once had is not there anymore. What's even stranger is that when I found it that evening, the image in the mirror couldn't pull its eyes away from one of the students. A first year named Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Nicolas muttered under his breath. "Sounds familiar."

"What I found strangest however," said Dumbledore, re-catching Nicolas's attention, "Was the look in the reflection's eyes. It looked hungry, but at the same time, fixated on the boy. It makes me believe that the magic it uses to pull people in has stopped, not by damage to it, but by will."

"Fixated," murmured Nicolas, repeating the word a few times. "It seems it is finally time. I've had a good life but it's time for me to go it seems."

As he finished speaking, Nicolas's body began to glow a golden colour. The very surrounds did the same before they slowly started to vanish. The flooring was slowly starting to reveal a hard ground surface below them and the furniture was disappearing from sight.

Dumbledore though was lost for words as he saw Nicolas's body slowly began to disintegrate into specks of light. Nicolas seemed to understand though and, before Dumbledore could react, he felt two arms wrap around him tightly.

"It has been an honour," said Nicolas, tears falling from his eyes as he held his friend tightly. "I could not have asked for a better student."

Dumbledore froze for a second before he hugged back. "And I could not have asked for a better teacher."

"Please," Nicolas choked out, trying not to cry. "I was terrible. Didn't know what I was doing half the time, and the other half involved me forgetting that you were merely a novice in the art. The amount of times you had to ask me to repeat everything I had said, well… I'll miss you Albus."

The weight in Dumbledore's arms suddenly vanished and, as he allowed his arms to fall to his side, he realised that his friend and teacher was gone forever. A few tears fell from his eyes though he didn't notice. Why would he pay attention to something like that? One of his oldest friends was gone. The pain he felt in his heart was almost unbearable.

"And here I thought you would outlive me," Dumbledore muttered.

His head slowly turned to see the place he was now standing in. The mountains were the only sign that he was indeed in the same place. He never would have though he was thought if they weren't there. The fields of grass had been reduced to nothing but barren land, all trace of vegetation gone. The cottage was nothing more than a few rocks nearby as well, the incredible architecture all gone. One of the worst things though was the bodies. Nicolas had always said that a few people had tried to get a hold of the stone yet he hadn't expected this many. There must have been hundreds of skeletons and bodies lying on the ground around the wasteland, some of them recent as well.

'And for what?' asked Dumbledore to himself as he looked down at what used to be the Philosopher's Stone. The rich blood red colour had vanished as it slowly changed to look like any other ordinary rock. 'Was the stone ever real? What has happened here?'

His eyes fell to the one thing still the same. The sword Nicolas had held before was still in the same place that it had fallen, the blade stabbed into the hard ground below it.

"Strange isn't it," came a male voice from behind him. Dumbledore spun round, his hand going for his wand to face the newcomer.

He wasn't what he had expected. Wizards normally wore very strange type of attire. It wasn't just in Magical Britain but in the other Magical Worlds as well. Turbans, cloaks, dresses, togas, some even a combination of both muggle and Wizard designs.

The figure in front of him how wore something slightly different. He had the usual robes that many old Wizards wore except they were blood red in colour, the same shade as the Philosopher's Stone. It covered his whole body as well, his hands hidden in the sleeves. At the neck, a layer of cloth extended up out of the robe and was wrapped around the figure's head, not leaving a single hole in the fabric or allowing anyone to see through it. From the way the person was looking at him though, he could tell that it didn't hinder him at all. One the head above the cloth was a pointed hat, the end bent slightly. Like the robes, the hat was pure red as well.

"Who are you," asked Dumbledore, not lowering his wand.

"I thought you were smart," the figure said. "Worked it out yet?"

"Did you cause all this?"

The figure sighed in annoyance. "Again, you ask the stupid questions. Isn't it obvious?"

A blast of light fired from Dumbledore's wand, hitting the ground by the figure's feet. "My old friend just died and this whole place suddenly changed from a paradise to a wasteland. I don't have the same patience that I normally do at the moment."

The figure ignored his demand for information though as he looked down towards the wand that was aimed at him. His head tilted and he seemed to be observing something, though it was hard to tell with the cloth covering his face.

"Ah," he finally said, his tone laced with annoyance. "So it's you Antioch. What the hell are you doing here? Still selling yourself out to the strongest you can find?"

Dumbledore wanted to ask what the man was talking about until his wand acted of its own accord. Red sparks flew out of the Elder Wand, as if challenging the man.

"Don't try and pretend," the figure responded. "You're nothing more than a common mercenary. No, wait. You don't even get paid; you're even less than that."

Another set of sparks flew out of the wand.

"Please, I understand true loyalty. I wouldn't let a pathetic Wizard command me. Imagine what your master would think if he could see you know. Peverell would be turning over in his grave."

A torrent of flames flew out of the Elder Wand and shot towards the figure. The red cloaked man however simply grabbed the sword from the ground nearby and slashed the flames apart with a single swing. Before Dumbledore could react, the wand had been grabbed from his hands and was held right in front of the cloaked man's face.

"Temper, temper," the man muttered as he flicked the wand. "Good to see you still have a slimmer of your old allegiances at least."

Dumbledore watched the interaction between the man and the wand with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. It was like the man could speak and understand the wand itself. It seemed to be on a higher level than Ollivander himself considering the esteemed wand maker hadn't even been able to understand the Elder Wand when he had shown him it.

"Excuse me-" Dumbledore tried to cut in.

"Do be quiet child," the man said to him mockingly. "The grownups are talking."

'That was a new one,' Dumbledore thought. He had been called senile, crazy, mad, and even manipulative in some cases. This was the first time he had been called a child though, as if he was younger the man in front of him. But the man seemed to be so young if his movements and figure were anything to go by. He couldn't be even older than him could he? And why was he talking to the Elder Wand in such a way? It was like they were long lost friends or rivals.

He saw the man's body tense and his fists clench as the wand let loose a few more sparks. "Why should I talk to him? He isn't worth my time. You can tell me everything I need to know."

More sparks appeared.

"I don't care if it's rude. Why should I give him the time of day? He's nothing more than a Wizard."

This kept bothering Dumbledore. Why was he being called a Wizard like it was a lower life form? It reminded him a lot of the death eaters with their views on muggles.

"Really?" the man said, some of the annoyance he was speaking with disappearing. "How can you be sure? He's Albus Dumbledore for crying out loud. He's a Wizard Prodigy." The man waited a second for a response. "I see. Fine then, you win." The wand let out sparks of victory as the man threw the wand back to its wielder.

The man clicked his fingers and two chairs burst into existence, the man immediately settling into one of them. "Be quick with it. I don't have all day."

"Very well," said Dumbledore as he took the opposite seat, the Elder Wand resting on his lap. "Who are you?"

"Again?" groaned the man. "Nicolas praised you too much. Isn't it obvious? I am Flamel."

"Flamel?" Dumbledore questioned. "So you are related to Nicolas then?"

"In a way," laughed Flamel, enjoying the game he was playing with the Wizard. "It was fun watching how you and Nicolas interacted with each other. The same with Perenelle. Some of my greatest pieces of work don't you think?"

"What are you saying," Dumbledore said, already realising what Flamel was implying.

"A stone that lets the drinker live forever," Flamel said, trying not to scoff at the idea of it. "It sounds like magic doesn't it, even in this world of magic."

"It does," admitted Dumbledore.

If Dumbledore could see Flamel's face, he could swear the man would be smiling. "But Alchemy isn't magic. Sure, you can work it with the other, but the fundamental rules are always the same. Equivalent exchange. Now tell me, what is the value of a human life?"

"Nothing."

"Exactly." Flamel let out a loud laugh as he continued. "Look at you lot. Over six hundred years and none of you worked it out. You can't make yourself immortal by drinking a special elixir. Yet so many died in the pursuit of it. Fools, all of them. It was fun watching them try at least. I got to test a few of my ideas on them."

"And Nicolas?"

"Catch on already," Flamel said angrily. "Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle Flamel, never existed. It was a trick; an illusion. You never met a man called Nicolas. Instead, you just thought you did. This entire place was merely a construct from my mind."

"Illusions can't do that," argued Dumbledore. "They can't do things on such a large scale as this. I remember the feeling of eating here and my hunger didn't reappear suddenly when I left. I could sit down and feel the surfaces around me. If I cut myself, the cut stayed until I healed it, even if it was later on at Hogwarts when I did so. And they certainly can't create people with as much depth as Nicolas was."

"You're thinking like a Wizard," sneered Flamel. "I'm so much more than you. My power is far beyond what a Wizard like yourself is capable of. The only reason I'm even talking to you is because of your blood."

"My blood?"

"Not important for you to know," answered Flamel immediately. "If it was worth knowing, I would show you a bit of respect at the very least. Now tell me about this mirror. You spoke of it being hungry and fixated on this boy, Ichigo Kurosaki I believe. Was the mirror damaged in any way?"

"Why is it important?"

Dumbledore heard a sigh of annoyance from the man. "Didn't you listen to Nicolas? It would have been clear to everyone that he was worried. And he should be. The last time it was fixated on someone, it meant that time was running out. Antioch here knows this too well."

Dumbledore stayed silent as he debated whether to speak or not. This man had faked his friend's existence for years, letting him believe that his friend had been real, only to discard him when he was done with him. Yet if he decided to stay quiet to spite the man, he would just ask the Elder Wand. He could communicate with it easily enough.

"The mirror was cracked," said Dumbledore finally. "There is a quite large slash along the glass which I thought was impossible. I've tried a lot of things to break the mirror and nothing ever worked. Not even the sword of Godric Gryffindor."

"Of course," Flamel shot back. "What did you expect? The mirror is meant to be resistant to damage. Maybe the sword could have damaged it in its prime but that was long ago. That someone could break it now is… troublesome."

"It would seem like it was done by Ichigo Kurosaki," Dumbledore inputted. "The mirror was staring at him after all."

"That name," Flamel muttered. "I see. I know who he is." He stepped out of his chair suddenly and the two chairs vanished, Dumbledore falling to the ground. Flamel secured the sword to himself before paying attention to the old Wizard who was slowly picking himself off the floor.

"I'm leaving," he said as he started to walk away. "None of what I've said leaves here. I'll know if you tell anyone. I should be round at some point to keep an eye on Hogwarts. Make sure you hide that mirror though. I'll see if I can try and fix the damage your foolishness has caused."

"Wait," Dumbledore called after Flamel. "Can't you tell me how to destroy the mirror? You seemed to be familiar with it. How can we get rid of such a dangerous weapon?"

Flamel stopped his strides to look by at the old man. As he vanished, he left a few short parting words to him, words that affected Dumbledore more than he wanted to admit. "It's not a weapon. It's a prison."

* * *

"Wake up Ichigo," called a voice in the darkness. Ichigo looked around, searching for the origin of the sound, trying to find the man calling him.

"Wake up," the voice repeated.

Ichigo shot up out of the bed, eyes glancing all over the room. It took him a moment to realise that the voice had come from his mind, most likely from the black clothed man in there.

"Great," muttered Ichigo as he noticed where he was. The Hospital Wing. "I thought I was rid of this place."

Not much had changed from before. Looking down, he noticed his shirt and robe were missing and that his right arm had been wrapped in bandages from his hand to his shoulder.

Ichigo wanted to ask what the problem was with his arm until he remembered its previous condition. He was tempted to look under the bandages and check on his arm's state but the common sense part of his mind won out. It was wrapped for a reason so it was better to let it heal.

A note was placed on the table next to him. After quickly scanning through it, he concluded it was basically saying what he had come to the conclusion of. The bandages needed to be kept on for a few days. A charm had been applied to them so they wouldn't need replacing and wouldn't get damaged by water which Ichigo was thankful for. It seemed that their main purpose was to keep the skin safe from infection while it repaired itself. As for the note, it looked like Madam Pomfrey had made sure he would at least get some instructions if he left before she could stop him. It was extremely nice of her to do such a thing.

Of course that wasn't going to stop him leaving. His shirt and robe were found to just be lying on a chair nearby so as soon as he had gotten dressed, he made his move.

Being as silent as he could, he headed straight for the door. By the time Madam Pomfrey spotted him, he was already out of the doors. He could find out what had happened from Uryuu. Waiting in that bed would drive him insane.

He didn't have to search for long. Uryuu was waiting just a floor above in one of the classrooms for him. He wasn't even sure how he had found him so easily. His path had taken him almost directly there despite not knowing where he was going.

"You're learning to sense the energy of others," Uryuu simply answered when he asked. He said it was something that all Soul Reapers and Quincy learned and it was how he had been able to identify him as a Soul Reaper the moment they met.

"What happened after that creepy mirror anyway?" asked Ichigo curiously. "How did I end up in the Hospital Wing? I make it a point to stay away from there."

"What was I suppose to do. The teachers turned up with the headmaster. I had no choice but to fake ignorance and lie about your condition. I didn't expect to actually need to use those descriptions of our Fullbrings but I thought there was a chance of this happening."

"Did they buy it?"

Uryuu looked at Ichigo smugly. "Of course they did. I'm the best student in our year, never getting into trouble. It really offset your record by the way. If I wasn't there, many of the teachers would have been very suspicious of you and might have thought you were the 'Angel' that saved Hermione. Like you have the power to use Rebellion."

"Good. Wait a sec…" Ichigo turned towards Uryuu quickly. "Rebellion?"

"My Fullbring's name. All Fullbrings have one. Mine is called Rebellion."

'I see,' thought Ichigo. 'Just like Kugo with his Cross of Scaffold. I thought that was just him. But what should I call mine?'

Uryuu seemed to realise what he was doing and was waiting silently, trying not to seem impatient.

"Sword of the Aegis," said Ichigo finally.

"Aegis is a Greek word," stated Uryuu. "You're smarter than you look." He kept speaking, ignoring Ichigo's outrage as he did. "I have to admit, it does suit you. The sword will act as the shield for you, to protect everyone you want to."

They sat in silence for a bit longer, neither speaking. Ichigo's thoughts turned back to the mirror. Uryuu had known what it was but never told him at the time. How had it shown him his mother like Grand Fisher had? And how had it been forcing him to move towards it?

Uryuu was silent for a long time after he asked, deep in thought. Ichigo wanted to bother him to ask if he knew anything at all but decided it was best to wait. The answer might be longer than he originally thought.

"The Mirror of Erised," Uryuu spoke quietly, his voice still able to be heard by Ichigo though. "It shows you not your reflection but your heart's desire. What do you want most in the world? Is it money? Power? Fame? Maybe it's love? Everyone has a desire in their heart and the more you want something that is impossible, the more influence the mirror seems to be able to gain over you."

"Seems?"

"It's just speculation mostly," said Uryuu, thinking about a certain black haired, green eyed boy. "Take Potter for instance. Like you, he wants something he can't have. His family is dead just like your mother. Yet when he stood in front of the mirror, he was just attracted back. He was allowed to leave. But with you, the mirror took over your actions. It made you move towards itself, for reasons I have yet to know."

Uryuu sighed. "I can't understand why you were so different. Maybe it's your blood? You have the blood of a Soul Reaper after all. It would be much more powerful than the blood of a Wizard."

"Maybe," came the reply from Ichigo. "Hey, what do you see?"

"I see my grandfather and father with me, along with friends." Uryuu suddenly realised what he had added at the end of his sentence. "I mean…"

"You have friends apart from me?" Ichigo said bluntly.

"What does that mean?" Uryuu shot back angrily. "And since when did we become friends? I don't remember agreeing to this."

"Ah lighten up will you," said Ichigo as he made to leave. "Wasn't that why you came to me for help and waited to make sure I was alright? The 'you' I meet at Ollivanders wouldn't have. As far as I can see it, we've been friends for quite a while. I'll see you later Uryuu. You can join me and the others at the Hufflepuff table if you get lonely on your own."

Ichigo left as quickly as he had come, leaving Uryuu to think about what he had said in silence. After a moment, a small smile came to Uryuu's face, though if anyone had seen, he would have denied it instantly. Maybe, just maybe, the Vandenreich weren't right about everything. With that in mind, he headed back to his dorm, actually looking forward to writing to his grandfather for the first time. Not the simple notes he had sent before, but a true written letter.

With these thoughts in mind, Uryuu left the classroom, heading to his dorm. His grandfather deserved more from him, and he was going to prove himself worth of him. No more denying who he was. They were family after all, and family sticks together. Always.

* * *

And done. Chapter 18 took a bit longer than I wanted but I have a reason for it. I have some really important exams coming up and I couldn't afford to spend as much time writing as I wanted to.

That's going to be affecting the next few months. May and June. Start July, I'm free to write as much as I want but until then, updates will be few if they even appear. I have at least one more chapter before I go as I plan to finish book 1 before the temporary hiatus. Don't worry about looking for any new stories as it will continue straight back in this story with book 2 in July.

That's not to say I won't try and do some writing. If I can, I will try and get you lot the occasional chapter but I can't promise any solid time frame with the next two busy months. If I can't release anything, I will just keep it ready to release the moment my exams end. I hope you all won't be too upset by this but there isn't anything I can do. My hands are tied.

As for the current chapter, what did you think? I really enjoyed the main scene of the chapter with Dumbledore but what did you guys think? Did you like the farewell between Nicolas and Dumbledore?

I'm also starting to set up a few more things ready for book 2. Since I fused the two worlds instead of put them together, you should know that not all histories are the same as the books alone. I'll let you guys guess what is going on for now.

Read, review, tell your friends, your enemies, your classmates, that random guy you passed in the street. I've told you guys enough times that you all know what to do.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	19. The End or The Beginning

Chapter 19. The conclusion for the first Arc. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**19 - The End or The Beginning**

A silence had developed across the entire Great Hall. The Gryffindors were eating silently, upset on their loss of the House Cup. Slytherin, while cheering inwardly, had been raised and taught to not show much emotion that could be used against them. While they wanted to gloat, most of them believed it would be beneath them to do so. There were the odd few who ignored that like Malfoy but he was quieted quickly from a sharp look from Kugo.

Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had a different reason to be silent. It was shock. Sitting at the Hufflepuff table alongside Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Chad was Uryuu. An outsider would have thought the shock was due to members of opposing houses sitting together. They would have been wrong. It was rarer than people wanted it to be but other houses did interact with each other and have friends in them. It was just more common in the later years where childhood grudges and prejudice started to vanish as they saw the world more clearly and less in black and white.

No, what was a shock to people was why the boy referred to as the lone Raven was hanging out with what seemed to be friends. And one of them was Ichigo Kurosaki. They had been in a rivalry for the entire year, their competitiveness even greater than the one that existed between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. So when they saw Ichigo almost drag Uryuu over to sit with him and his friends, no one knew what to say. Even the teachers were in shock.

The people nearest the Ravenclaw and three Hufflepuffs found it the worst. The silence was almost suffocating yet Ichigo and Uryuu seemed immune to the effect they were having on everyone else. Tatsuki and Chad were even feeling slightly awkward from all the tension.

The silence eventually got to Ichigo though as he turned to one of the other first year Hufflepuffs nearby. "Hey Zack. Tell us something funny."

"What!" exclaimed Zacharias. "You can't expect me to think of something decent to say in this situation can you?"

Ichigo scowled. "Come on. Tell us all one of your stories from home."

'This is too much to ask in this situation,' thought Zacharias in despair, 'But I'll do my best.'

He immediately jumped into one of the stories he had of when he had gone to visit one of the foreign Ministries, finally ending the long drawn out silence. Ichigo nodded slightly in acceptance before turning back to the others.

"You know," started Uryuu, "You didn't need to invite me. I was perfectly fine sitting on my own."

"What are you talking about," Ichigo shot back. "I said that if you are lonely, you can join us. No one would mind."

"You have been sitting here for the past few minutes have you not?" deadpanned Uryuu. "Besides, who said I was lonely. I was perfectly content to sitting on my own. I choose to remember. I was a loner by choice."

"That's idiotic of you," replied Ichigo. "Just accept the fact that you are enjoying sitting with us instead of by yourself."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Tatsuki and Chad meanwhile watched the two argue back and forth.

"They're similar in some ways," stated Chad as he turned to Tatsuki.

"This seriously doesn't bother you?" asked Tatsuki curiously.

"What doesn't?"

"This." She waved wildly at the two boys, both oblivious to the conversation taking place about them. "I don't mind four eyes sitting with us but seriously, am I the only one noticing this. They were almost enemies a few days ago."

"They were teamed up together in the Forbidden Forest. My Abuelo always told me that danger can forge bonds greater than any others. That happened with us with the troll and the same happened with Hermione, Harry and Ron."

"That is a point," agreed Tatsuki. "She only started hanging around them after that night, and it seems like Ron and her get along a lot better than they originally did. But seriously, Ichigo and Uryuu as friends?"

Chad just shrugged. "Weirder things can happen."

"I guess." As Ichigo broke out of his conversation with Uryuu, she pulled him into one of her own. "By the way Ichigo, you never told us why you ended up in the Hospital Wing… again."

Ichigo froze for a moment before relaxing. Chad noticed however.

"You don't need to tell us Ichigo," Chad said, ignoring Tatsuki's protests. "It's obliviously personal so we shouldn't pry."

"Thanks Chad." Ichigo turned to Tatsuki, waiting for her to keep asking only to be met with silence.

"What?" she said annoyed. "I don't like it but I won't make you tell us something you don't want to. You at least have decent reasons normally when it comes to your secrets."

"Thanks Tatsuki."

Before they could talk any more, the rest of the food disappear as Dumbledore began to stand. Everyone turned to face the headmaster, giving him their full attention.

"Another wonderful year at Hogwarts has ended," began Dumbledore cheerfully. "And what a wonderful year it has been. I hope your heads have been filled a bit more since your time here. You now have the whole summer to empty them again for the next year."

Dumbledore looked up at the green and silver banners above the hall, a serpent embroiled on them. "Now as I understand, the House Cup here needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy two."

Ichigo glanced around the hall as the cheering started. The Gryffindors were annoyed while the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were just accepting of it. They hadn't expected to win this year anyway. As he glanced over to the Slytherin table, his eyes locked with Kugo's. His cousin kept his gaze for a moment before he released a smirk and silently gestured towards the banners. It wasn't mocking. It was more like he was trying to make him notice something. Ichigo's eyes widely slightly as he realised what was about to happen as Kugo nodded his head as if confirming his thoughts. Slytherin hadn't won yet.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore, "However, recent events must be taken into account."

Uryuu glanced towards Ichigo quickly. Ichigo gave him a quick look but that was all he needed to confirm what was going on. Around the room, the noise had dropped to barely a whisper. The Slytherins were all slowly losing their confidence in their victory.

"Firstly, to Mr Ronald Weasley, for great strategy and selfless sacrifice, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Cheers bellowed around the hall from the Gryffindor table. The red haired Prefect Weasley could even be heard exclaiming about how his brother got past Professor McGonagall's giant chess set. Uryuu kept himself from revealing a scowl. Ron probably had it much easier in that room than he did.

When there was silence again, Dumbledore continued. "Second, to Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

At one hundreds points up, the Gryffindor house broke into cheers again.

"Third, to Mr Harry Potter," said Dumbledore, the room going deadly quiet as they heard Harry's name. "For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The cheers had gotten even louder. In the blink of an eye, Gryffindor had gone from dead last to joint first. Yet Dumbledore wasn't done yet.

"There are all kinds of courage," he said when the room fell silent. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."

If people had thought the cheers were loud before, then they would have been deafened but the levels now. Ichigo winced slightly as he covered his ears while Uryuu did the same. They could understand their excitement, even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were joining in. Slytherin had been undefeated for quite a while now and everyone had wanted to see them knocked off their pedestal. Some of the appeal of the House Cup had been lost on him and Uryuu though. The events of the third floor corridor were still fresh in his mind, and have made the House Cup seem… insignificant in the way of things.

"Which means," Dumbledore managed to say, struggling to be heard over the applause, "we need a little change of decoration."

With a clap of his hands, the green banners changed to red, the silver switching to gold. The serpent vanished as a lion took its place for all to see. Snape could be seen shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, a forced smile on his face that was painfully obvious. Giving up, Ichigo joined in slightly with the clapping and glanced over to the Slytherin table. Kugo seemed to be struggling to not laugh at his housemates, partially Malfoy who was gaping like a fish. At least he wasn't the only one who had stopped caring about the Cup.

* * *

As the train got nearer and nearer to London, Uryuu smiled smugly as Tatsuki glared at him. Ichigo sighed at the sight. They had been like this for over an hour now ever since Tatsuki had asked how Uryuu did in the exams.

"What's the matter number 8," taunted Uryuu, enjoying the look on the girl's face.

"I still beat you at Transfiguration," she snarled back.

"Yes, but only by a mark or two. As for the rest of your exams…" He left the rest unsaid, infuriating Tatsuki even more.

Ichigo sighed again, taking a glance over at Chad. While it was hard to see his emotions sometimes, it was plain as day to him that he was thinking similar thoughts about the pair.

Uryuu had a point with his taunting though. While he hadn't been top of every class, he had been right behind the ones that were with just one or two marks. Tatsuki wasn't the only one that had been annoyed as Hermione had been almost outraged when she found out that she had been beaten. Even her Charms exam had been beaten by him, and she had scored one hundred and twelve percent, though Uryuu wasn't a Charms prodigy for nothing. Chad had done quite well in the exams as well, beating both Ichigo and Tatsuki. He even managed to share the top spot in Herbology with Neville. Tatsuki had fulfilled the expectations Professor McGonagall had for her, getting the highest marks in Transfiguration, while Ichigo had managed to get the highest mark in History of Magic in over one hundred years. It seems that Professor Binns had affected people more than they originally thought. Even the teachers were surprised with his mark.

They had been given their results just before they left. Their wardrobes had been emptied, their trunks pack, and they had boarded the train. They had gotten a warning about not being able to use magic outside of school which had upset a lot of people but it was necessary, especially for those who lived with muggles.

"What are you doing this summer anyway Chad," Ichigo asked, turning to his friend while the others argued.

"Travelling," Chad answered, "Abuelo wants to see Spain again and believes it is time for me to see my origins."

"You're Spanish?" asked Ichigo. "I knew your grandfather was but you as well?"

"Partly," Chad replied. "One of my parents was Spanish while the other was English. They settled here before I was born though."

"I see."

"What about you?" asked Chad curiously.

"Me?" said Ichigo. "I'm going to be staying home mostly. I haven't seen my family in a while and I'm looking forward to see Yuzu and Karin again."

"Your sisters right?"

"Yeah. Twins. Dad and Kisuke should be there as well. Maybe grandfather will even visit and Uncle Sosuke. Kugo is sure to appear every once in a while also."

"You speak informally about most of your family," stated Chad. "But you always speak respectively about your grandfather. Why?"

Ichigo's expression turned serious for a moment before relaxing. "Grandfather is… old. Very old, and very powerful. He was born when respect meant a lot more than it does now and likes to be addressed as so. After living so long, he kind of deserves the respect."

"How old is he?"

"Older than Dumbledore." Chad contained the shock he was feeling as he heard that. Dumbledore was over one hundred years old, and yet Ichigo's grandfather was even older. How did someone live that long anyway?

"We're almost there," said Uryuu as he stared out of the window. True to his word, the station was pulling up very quickly. Chad and Tatsuki grabbed their trunks and began to head to the doors. Ichigo was about to do the same when Uryuu grabbed his arm. Tatsuki turned back for a moment before Ichigo told her to go on ahead. His dad would be giving them both a lift back after all.

"So what is it?" asked Ichigo as he sat back down. Uryuu looked at him worriedly before speaking.

"I never asked at the time but how are you doing?"

"What…" Ichigo wasn't sure what to expect. He hadn't known Uryuu for long but he had never seen him act like this before. "I'm fine, apart from the few complications with my arm. I still can't believe I need to wear the bandages for longer than Madam Pomfrey said. I normally heal faster, not slower."

Uryuu looked at Ichigo's arm for a moment, a concerned expression on his face before he refocused on what he was trying to say. "I'm not talking about physically."

"Then what are you-"

"Quirrell."

Ichigo flinching slightly at the name, his body trembling slightly.

"I thought so," said Uryuu softly. "You were coping too well. You did kill a man after all so I was worried when you began acting normally. It seems your subconscious buried it down to keep you from realising it fully."

"I see," Ichigo said quietly, trying to stop himself from shaking. It wasn't fear he was feeling but an overwhelming amount of regret and sorrow.

"I'm… not good at this," said Uryuu. "I know roughly what it feels like. The Vandenreich have… extremely training methods. There were these men that they brought me to, one day before Hogwarts started. They were dying anyway and they were in tremendous amounts of pain. I had to end it for them. They say it hardens the heart for the future, though I wonder now if that is really the right thing to do. The pain keeps us human after all."

Uryuu glanced out of the window where he managed to spot his grandfather waiting in the crowds, despite the amount of people there.

"You know, I always looked down at my grandfather. I finally understand now that he was always trying to protect me, not weaken me like the Vandenreich told me. I've been an idiot."

Uryuu made to stand before turned back to Ichigo one last time. "There was no going back for him, you know that right? Dumbledore spoke to me when he arrived. He told me that Quirrell had been possessed by Voldemort. You know what that means don't you?"

Ichigo didn't answer but Uryuu continued none the less.

"They fused together to form one and when they would eventually become two again, Quirrell would have died. Voldemort's power would have been like a drug to Quirrell, and without it, he would have died instantly."

Uryuu began to leave when Ichigo called out to him.

"Hey Uryuu," he said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Uryuu replied. "If you do, I'll completely deny it."

Ichigo grabbed his trunk and followed after Uryuu. The moment he left the train though, he felt like something was wrong. It was almost like something was trying to attack him.

"DADDY'S SUPER SECRET JUMP KICK!"

Ichigo ducked on instinct as a man in a doctor's coat went flying over his head. The man crashed to the ground and fell down into the tracks. Ichigo ignored the man however and walked over to his sisters nearby. Karin was furious while Yuzu looked really embarrassed. It didn't stop the two from running to embrace their brother.

"What just…" Uryuu's words quieted down as he couldn't think of what to say. Ichigo wasn't even paying attention to the man that had just tried to attack him while the girls, who seemed to be his sisters, had expressions not aimed at Ichigo himself, but rather the man who had attacked him.

"Ah," came a kind voice from behind Uryuu. He turned to see the smiling face of his grandfather. "It is good to see you Uryuu. I really enjoyed your letter."

Uryuu didn't answer, still slightly speechless from the man that had appeared. Souken looked where his grandson was looking and sighed. "Ah, I see you have meet Isshin."

"Isshin?"

"Ichigo's father," Souken stated. "He's a lovely fellow, especially when he is acting properly. From the look of things, he decided to not bother today."

"His father just tried to attack him."

"Ignore my old man," Ichigo said as he turned to Uryuu. "He's a pain sometimes."

"Oh Masaki," shouted a voice from the tracks. "My little boy is rejecting my existence. What do I do?"

Ichigo ignored the odd stares he and his family were getting from passersby, instead turning back to his sisters. "How bad has he been?"

"We had to stop him bringing a poster," Karin muttered.

"We all missed you Ichigo," said Yuzu, tears in her eyes as she grabbed hold of Ichigo again.

Ichigo hugged his sister back before noticing his dad had managed to get back up off the tracks. "Ah, you've gotten stronger Ichigo. You even managed to dodge my 'Super Secret Jump Kick' with ease."

"What the hell," he shouted back at him. "What sane dad attacks his son the moment he steps off the train?"

"I was almost completely sure you would have avoided it," Isshin shot back with a goofy smile on his face.

"That's not a guarantee."

"So what."

Uryuu and his grandfather watched the two argue, noticing they were getting further and further away. Ichigo barely realised and shouted a farewell to him before he found Chad and did the same to him. Tatsuki just joined his sisters and followed them out, leaving Uryuu and his grandfather alone.

"Hey, grandfather," Uryuu said quietly. Souken heard it easily enough though.

"What is it Uryuu? Is something the matter?"

"No," he whispered out. "Just, do you mind teaching me some more about a Quincy's pride this summer? I have some questions."

Souken couldn't stop the smile that filled his face as he hugged his grandson. "Of course Uryuu. Of course." He didn't need to ask what had happened. All he knew was that Uryuu had chosen him over the Vandenreich, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

Dumbledore paced along the floor in his office, Fawkes watching him alongside the Sorting Hat. He couldn't understand what was happening. The mirror was gone, and no one had been recorded on the monitoring wards he had placed around the area. If someone had been in there, he would have known. So where was the mirror?

It can't have moved by itself. If what he was told by Flamel was correct, the mirror was a prison, for what he did not know. With that as the case, the mirror shouldn't have moved by itself, yet no one took it. How?

Could it have been Flamel? Those illusions of his were extremely powerful, strong enough to alter reality itself from what he saw. That was a tremendous feat of magic. Perhaps he had bypassed the wards and taken the mirror instead of leaving it to him.

That idea was discarded moments later. Flamel had told him to hide the mirror. Why tell him to hide it when he was going to take it. No, this had to be the work of someone or something else.

And then there was what Flamel had said. Flamel had said that he was beyond the power of a Wizard, even speaking about Wizards like they were nothing but dirt to him. Then there was his blood. It was the only reason Flamel talked to him yet why? Was he a descendant from someone Flamel knew? Or was it something more?

What about the Elder Wand as well. He had headed straight to Ollivanders after meeting Flamel, desperate to see if Ollivander could now understand what the wand was saying. It was for naught however as Ollivander was still unable to do it. So why had Flamel managed to? The wand had even responded in a way that was visible to people around him. Ollivander had always told him that wands were alive but never had he seen a wand look as alive as this one. And why had Flamel called the wand Antioch? That was meant to be the name of the eldest brother in 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'. The Deathly Hallows existed, just like the story said, and the Elder Wand was one of them, originally belonging to the first brother, Antioch Peverell. Was that all wrong?

It was possible. Some stories were fiction but some were based off myths and tales of the past. The Deathly Hallows existed, that was certain, but how much of that tale was actually correct? Who was Death in the story? Were there really three brothers or were the three brothers the Hallows themselves? So much was uncertain, and left so many questions in his mind.

And finally was matter with Ichigo Kurosaki.

The boy was a mystery. He had an endless amount potential and had an instinctive grasp of magic. He could learn spells at a shocking rate, even if some of the theory was lacking. Some things only failed for him simply because he had too much power and couldn't get enough control over it to make it work effectively. The broom incident earlier in the year was an example of this.

And from there, he started entering up in dangerous situations. The troll was only the start. After that, there was the forest, and then the stone. He had accessed the wards to trace what the boy had been doing before he was caught and had found out that he had been going to one of the rooms that were unused in one of the school's towers. Tracing back through the days and weeks found that it hadn't been the first time that had happened and each time, he vanished for a time before reappearing. Yet the wards still said he was in the grounds. They just couldn't identify his location.

Ichigo hadn't been alone it seemed as well. Kugo Ginjo, a Slytherin first year, had been with him on each occasion. But when he went to check out the room, he found himself unable to get past the door. It was almost as if it was denying him entry. Yet another puzzle to add to the pile.

What he found strange though was how Filch how caught him. What has possessed Filch to follow that path? It was random and obscure, completely out of character for his patrols. It was almost as if he got a tip off from someone about Ichigo's route back. But for what reason? To make sure he went to the forest?

If that was the case, then what was happening around the boy? Was someone trying to get him killed? Or where they attempting something else.

But what he never expected was the boy's power. He knew that he had a lot, the teachers had made clear of that, but the amount was just ridiculous.

While people may question his decisions sometimes, what many didn't understand was the reason behind how Harry got past the traps. They were unique wards and enchantments around everything in the tasks, adjusting them accordingly. They registered the amount of magic someone was releasing naturally and used that to set the trap level. A first year like Harry for instance was able to get past the traps with ease as they were lowered down to test for certain qualities. A training tool if you will. Anyone stronger though made the tasks become tougher and harder. The level was tripped two times. One from Quirrell and one from someone else. Out of all the people that entered the corridor, it was only triggered when Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryuu Ishida entered. And looking at previous evidence, it must have been Ichigo that triggered it.

"But how," Dumbledore muttered to himself. "How can a child as young as him give off so much power so naturally?"

Hermione Granger had said that she had been rescued by an angel when the chess pieces came back to life suddenly. Ichigo must have been in the room at the time. Since the troll had been reawakened while the angel was present, it could only mean that Ichigo was the black cloaked figure Harry saw. It would make sense considering what Severus saw in the boy's mind all those months ago at Halloween.

So that left Uryuu Ishida as the angel. But what exactly did these two do? Brilliant students, both of them, being pulled into events designed to test Harry, the boy who was surrounding by danger. Was someone trying to manipulate events with them? And for what reason? Ichigo Kurosaki was an anomaly, someone who seemed to break the rules of what is possible without even knowing. Flamel had said he had known who Ichigo Kurosaki was. Should he look into who he was too? Or could that act cause him to turn against him.

Dumbledore sighed as he moved over to his Pensieve, preparing to deposit a few memories into the bowl. There was too much happening, too much which was interfering in his plans. Harry had to defeat Tom and he had to prepare him before Tom rose, along with finding out how he even survived in the first place. If he focused too much on Ichigo and the mirror, his plan would fail before it could begin. There was simply too much he didn't understand, too much that he couldn't understand. No, it was better to focus on what he knew for now. The rest would have to come in time.

The Sorting Hat meanwhile rested nearby on a shelf, watching the headmaster curiously. As the headmaster took out each memory individually, the hat saw its chance to learn what was going on. When he first came into existence, he had quickly realised that he didn't need to be on someone's head to read their mind. It just made it easy for silent communication and effortless entry into their mind. Normally, doing what he was about to do would be noticed by the headmaster. He was a master at Occlumency after all. However, there was always another way. As the memories floated down to the Pensieve, the hat used its extremely powerful Legilimency skills to read the memory itself. It was no longer connected to the headmaster's mind, and thus couldn't be detected by him.

Each memory he read made him more and more curious though. And then the horror struck. He saw it as clear as day, the large ominous crack down the mirror, and the words of Flamel.

The Sorting Hat was turning as best as a magical hat could towards Fawkes in the corner, sending all the memories it had seen over to the Phoenix. The Phoenix was shocked for a moment before his eyes grew wide. It wasn't very noticeable but the Sorting Hat saw it. They both knew what had happened. And they had bother come to the same realisation.

The creature was awake, and it had found its new target.

* * *

A door shut silently as a small black haired boy walked into the house. A brown haired man with glasses followed behind him, not saying anything but still radiating an immense presence all the same. The man took his glasses off as he brushed his hair back, letting a small smirk replaced the kind smile on his face.

Kugo looked up at his uncle. They weren't related closely, he knew that. He wasn't from the main line after all, didn't have that honour. Yet he had decided to look after him when his parents had died and had taken that place as an honorary uncle. Because of that, he was privy to what few men saw. He could see the truth face of his uncle. And it terrified him slightly while at the same time filling him with some kind of pride and joy. It was this man he was cautious of though. Uncle Sosuke was one of the nicest and kindest people in the world, always putting others before himself. But right now, he was Aizen, and Aizen was someone that you never wanted to mess with.

Aizen stood further ahead as they reached his study, opening the doors with a flick of his wrist before taking a seat in a chair by a fireplace that had been lit at some point. Kugo followed over to a similar seat and sat opposite Aizen, waiting for him to speak first.

They were both sitting in silence for a few moments, Aizen observing Kugo with a calculating stare. A knock was heard on the door they had entered from.

"Oh Sosuke," came a cheerful voice as a man stuck his head through the open door, his eyes narrowed in slits. He was a quite thin person yet also tall, his body giving itself a skeletal like appearance with its sharp features. Short silver hair rested on the top of his head, and a wide smile could be seen on his face, mocking them all the same. "When did you get leave? It's rude to walk out on people without telling them."

A dark skinned man walked past the strange man by the door, carrying a plate with tea on it. In contrast to the room's first visitor, he was completely different. His long dark brown hair was down around his head, all tied into braids. Across his face was a white band like visor, hiding his sightless eyes from the world.

"Ignore Gin Lord Aizen," the man spoke as he placed the tea in front of Aizen and Kugo. "I have prepared the tea for you and young Kugo."

"Ah," replied Aizen. "Thank you Kaname. You may leave us."  
"As you wish," Kaname replied as he left the room, dragging Gin with him.

"Hey," Gin responded as he was dragged away. "I wanted to hear what happened."

The doors shut behind the two as they exited the room, Aizen slowly moving to pour some of the tea into two cups.

"I assume you will want some," Aizen spoke casually, Kugo not bothering to try and say that he didn't want some. Aizen lifted his cup to his mouth and sipped some of the tea before placing it down on a saucer on the table. "Now then," he began. "How has your year been?"

"It has been fine Uncle," he said before noticing realising Aizen wanted more information. "It was purely basic stuff. Not much of a challenge really, especially when most of it is purely parlour tricks."

"Ah yes," Aizen said as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pockets. Kugo hid his shock well as he looked at what Aizen was holding. It was his exam results on the paper that he had been given."

"When did you-"

"I have to say I'm impressed with your progress, despite your other duties this year. High enough to excel yet low enough to not draw too much attention to yourself. The Sorting Hat made the right decision it seems with Slytherin. I'm hoping you managed to get yourself integrated well into the House. A Soul Reaper's linage is something that is hard to prove with all the secrecy we use. I doubt they ever heard the surname Ginjo, despite the fact that you are what they might classify as a Pureblood."

"They tried to get to me," sneered Kugo as he thought of the other first years, one blond haired Slytherin in particular. "The Malfoy brat took his place as the leader of the pack within the first few days, the only ones not joining him were powerful enough with their linage to survive without him or were able to not be affected by his influence."

Kugo's fist clenched on reflex as a sinister smile grew on his face. "He learned the hard way to not mess with me though. He leaves me alone and does me a favour or two and I leave him alone. A simple arrangement."

"I see," said Aizen, knowing there was more to the story than that. He didn't bother pressing on though. All that mattered was that Kugo had integrated himself into the House well enough and was able to avoid detection. It wasn't time yet for him to act after all and it would be bad to lose a piece so early in the game. "And how did Ichigo's training go?"

"Perfectly. Just as you wanted."

"Good," said Aizen, bring up the cup for another sip. "Ichigo is progressing nicely, just as anticipated. I do hope you won't get left behind."

Kugo ignored the feeling the jab gave him. "Don't worry. He won't surpass me."

"We'll see," came the reply. "After all, he performed exceptionally well. Beating a troll, admittedly barely, but all the same he won using his Fullbring for the first time. He picked up the training even faster than you as well. If memory serves, it took you at least twice as long as him. I wonder if that is why you fought so hard against him."

Kugo tried to avoid turning red from anger as he heard Aizen speak. This was the way this man spoke. He could manipulate the feelings of others with just a few words and he knew that Aizen was doing this intentionally.

"And such a wonderful performance he gave me when he went after the stone," continued Aizen. "I had my doubts about involving the Quincy but he turned out to be just what was needed. A driving force to beat but also to compare himself too, even if he didn't realise he was doing it."

Aizen looked out of one of the windows as the rain began to fall. "It was easy to get him caught. The events in the Forbidden Forest after that worked perfectly to get him motivated, and to master Fullbring so quickly afterwards, even in that dangerous state… he is quite interesting isn't he? But then, it is to be expected. After all, just look at who his parents were."

"Enough," shouted Kugo as he jumped out of his seat. The instance he did, a huge pressure fell on his shoulders as he collapsed to the floor, struggling to breathe.

Aizen looked down at the boy with the same look he had before. Kugo saw it as well. Their goals coincided and Aizen would help him achieve them but there was always that doubt. The look when he was compared to Ichigo, he hated it. Why made Ichigo so much more important than him? Were they not equals in power? They both were born with 'That' after all.

The pressure disappeared and Kugo struggled back up to his feet.

"Now then," Aizen said, turning away from Kugo. "You have learned you lesson I believe. It is rude to interrupt people after all. Your room is ready for you like it was before you left. I hope you are ready for the holidays as your training will be like nothing you experienced before."

Kugo groaned mentally. It wasn't good for his uncle to hear him complaining after all.

Aizen seemed to know what he was thinking though as he added a snide comment at the end. "Of course, if you want to relax a bit, I'm sure it will be fine. I'm sure Ichigo will do the same, though with his growth rate, he should surpass you in a matter of hours if you do so."

Anger flickered in Kugo's eyes as he stormed off. Aizen chuckled as Kugo left, knowing the message had sunken in. Instead of going to finish off his tea, he walked over to one of the nearby bookcases in the study. His hand reached out to it and an orange light surrounded the bookcase before it disappeared completely, revealing a long spiralling passageway behind it.

Aizen took the steps slowly, following the path to the bottom. He walked past the variety of rooms the corridor he was in contained, focusing only on the one near the end. Screams echoed around him, some bloodthirsty and some simply the sounds of those suffering. They didn't affect Aizen though as he entered the last room.

The room was lightly lit, the sole occupant of the room visible in the corner. Chains held the occupant's limps to the wall and floor. When the occupant saw the person who had arrived it tried to last out at him but nothing responded. Not its fur, not its claws, not even its lure. He was completely powerless.

"I'm glad to see you again Grand Fisher," said Aizen with a smile, terrifying the Hollow. "It's been a long time."

"Sosuke Aizen," Grand Fisher muttered fearfully.

"You remember me it seems. I'm glad you haven't forgotten me in the past two years."

"What do you want with me?"

"With you?" asked Aizen, the fake compassion in his voice mocking the Hollow. "Why nothing much. I just want a little chat."

Grand Fisher knew it was going to regret this later but the Hollow still complied. "About what?"

"Isn't it obvious? You saw him yourself after all. You even stopped when you were about to kill him because you saw something." Aizen took a step forward, the very movement causing the Hollow to retreat back slightly. "You're going to tell me everything you learned about him."

"Who?" asked Grand Fisher, already knowing the answer.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

* * *

And that is the end of the first Arc. The Fullbring Arc basically. After my exams, I can get straight into the second Arc of the story, taking place in the 2nd year. Just you guys wait, I have so many ideas ahead in this story and I hope you all stick around for the ride.

As I said before, this story won't be updated till the end of my exams. That is at the end of June so it is a while, I know. I'm sorry for that but it just can't be helped.

I hope you guys have enjoyed the first Arc. I say Arc because as I may have said before, this is all going to be in one story. No having to look for the next story on my profile on anything. This also helps because you will all know when I return as well. Make sure you have it Alerted or something if you want to get a notice of when the story resumes.

Thank you all for reading this so far. I'm at practically 15,000 views. I'm amazed so many people have seen this, even if some of those views are repeated views.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	20. Meaning of Power

MY EXAMS ARE ALL DONE! You hear that? I'm free. Nothing to do but relax. I could go on holiday, I could see the world, yet I choose to write a chapter for you guys. (Do I have my priorities straight?)

Anyway, it's good to be back. I've missed this story and nothing is stopping me now. We're jumping straight into book 2 with chapter 20 and I hope it was worth the wait. A nice roughly 6000 word chapter just for you guys. Aren't I nice? And for the first of the month as well.

I'm letting you know now that I have some ideas for other stories. You can find more out in the end note. Anyway, to the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

_**Of Darkness And Light**_

* * *

**20 - Meaning of Power**

Punch, kick, block, grab, flip. Again, Ichigo followed the moves, imagining that he was fighting an invisible opponent. As each kata finished, he moved onto the next, slowly getting faster and faster as time went by.

He had been doing this for over an hour now and it had been like this since he had gotten home. His Dad had insisted that he should learn a thing or two from him and refused to take no for an answer. It was fair to say that Ichigo was completely surprised when Isshin had started sparing with him. After all those years of dealing with his surprise attacks, he had thought that had been the extent of his Dad's strength. He had seen how wrong he was.

It had all been a blur to start with. He had stood there, waiting for his Dad to attack when he had suddenly found himself lying on the ground, Isshin standing over him. He hadn't even known his Dad could move that fast. Sure, it wasn't as fast as Bringer Light was but it was still a shock to see.

A few more fights and he slowly started to adjust. It wasn't that Isshin was extremely fast, rather that the Isshin in his mind wasn't. His Dad has always been this goofy and strange man, not even hesitating to attack his son as a welcome home celebration. He had always been able to dodge him mostly though, probably because the attacks had never been meant to harm him. Rather, they were to keep him on his toes and prepared for anything.

So as he had fought his Dad, the old silly version of him would keep popping up in his head, making his reflexes slowly as he tried to dodge attacks that were coming faster than his mind remembered them being. Even when he had finally managed to adapt, his Dad didn't become any easier. If anything, he became tougher, switching between attack and defence in an instant. It was both infuriating and exhilarating.

"Ichigo. Lunch," Yuzu called from inside.

"One minute," he shouted back in reply as he finished up the latest kata his dad had taught him. Isshin had told him that it was something called Hakuda, and was primarily a style of extreme close combat techniques. Tatsuki had caught him practicing one day when she popped round and had commented that it resembled a mix of a variety of martial art styles.

Speaking of Tatsuki, she had been quite busy during the holidays. She had returned to their old dojo almost instantly and was making up for a lot of lost time. There were only so many times you could practice on your own in Hogwarts and she already had fought him a lot already. She was desperate for new opponents.

Because of that, it wasn't much of a surprise when she appeared the next day saying she was entering the tournament she had found. Last he had heard from her, she was progressing to the finals. A lot of her opponents were weak in her words but were a good change from normal.

Chad meanwhile had done as he had said. Ichigo had recently received a postcard from him from Spain which simply stated that he was having a good time. It was typical of him to summarise everything into a few words.

Uryuu had been almost non-responsive but then that was to be expected. He had gotten a letter from him at one point stating that Ichigo better keep up as he was going to take the lead. It seemed a lot of his grudge against him being a Soul Reaper had changed into a rivalry. Now he seemed determined to prove that Quincy were superior to Soul Reapers by his power instead of just claiming it.

Still, Ichigo wasn't going to lose. He had asked his dad when they would get started on further training and had been told that he would have to wait until his birthday. It seemed Kugo had been forced to wait as well as the adults seemed determined to wait until they were both twelve. Said it was something that was more… fun… to experience together. The fact that it was Kisuke telling him this made him shudder slightly. After all, though his uncle was great and all, he wasn't known for making the greatest of sense. What was fun for him could be torture for them.

"ICHIGO!" shouted Isshin as he flew towards him, leg extended. "LUNCH!"

Ichigo scowled as he dodged easily and started walking inside, ignoring the collapsed form of his father on the ground from his collision with the fence nearby. This was another reason why his dad was so hard to fight. He kept up his old goofy surprise attacks. He wasn't even sure if his dad could even be serious until he started teaching him.

"Here you go Ichigo," said Yuzu as she passed him a plate of food.

"Thanks Yuzu," he said as he sat down next to Karin, who for some reason had a lot more food on her plate than normal.

"Dad's?" he simply asked.

"Yeah. He was being stupid so I took his food when he was busy trying to surprise you. He's spent about five minutes waiting by the door for you to appear."

A scowl appeared on Ichigo's head as he stared at the approaching figure of their father. He couldn't be the only one with an annoying father could he?

'At least he had been helpful with another problem I've been having,' Ichigo thought as he tugged the black bandages up around his right arm. The moment Isshin had gotten him home and had heard about it, he had marched him straight to his office so he could examine it himself.

He had then proceeded to collapse a few minutes after the bandages had been removed. Isshin had been completely terrified. When Ichigo had finally woken up, he had made Ichigo swear to never remove the new bandages he had wrapped round his arm until he had learned to control his power. He had said something about his arm being damaged somehow and was the burns of his arm were letting out too much energy when they were unwrapped. If he didn't keep his arm covered up, he could even die from the lack of energy in his body.

At least his dad had given him a hint of when he finally would not have to worry too much about it. The clue though was hard to work out, just that it was about learning the name inside yourself. Hopefully it would all make sense when he started his training. It had to.

* * *

_**Of Darkness And Light**_

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" shouted his sisters as Ichigo walked down the stairs. After a few weeks of waiting, his birthday had finally rolled round and he could start more of his training. Even his usual scowl had vanished in exchange for a wide smile as he hugged his sisters.

"LOOK AT OUR LITTLE BOY!" Isshin screamed as he ran to the poster of Masaki in the corner. "HE'S GROWING UP SO FAST!"

Despite wanting to punch his dad for his annoying antics, he couldn't find it in himself to do it today. He was just too excited of what today would bring.

"When are we going to start training," he practically blurted out, surprising himself with how excited he truly was.

Isshin dropped his goofy act as he turned to face his son. "Soon," he simply said. "Kisuke's still setting a few things up while Sosuke is bringing Kugo with him. They should be here shortly."

"Uncle Sosuke's coming?" Ichigo said excitedly. His father, Kisuke, and Sosuke were all brothers, though Sosuke was the youngest of the three. His mother had always liked Sosuke the best out of his other relatives, and he had followed after her in that regard. His uncle was one of the nicest people he had ever met after all. After all, he had even adopted Kugo when his parents had died and still treated him like he was one of his own.

A bell could suddenly be heard from the door. "That should be him now," Isshin said as he turned to go get the door.

Ichigo beat him to it as he rushed past and opened the door for the visitors. Outside stood Kugo with a tall man behind him, square glasses on his face with brushed down brown hair which gave him this kind of scholarly look.

"Hey Kugo, Uncle Sosuke," Ichigo greeted as he let them in.

"Hello Ichigo," Sosuke said kindly as he ruffled Ichigo's hair as he passed. "You're twelve now aren't you, just like Kugo. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks," Ichigo responded before he noticed the package Sosuke was holding. "What's that?"

"Oh this?" Sosuke said in mock surprise. "Why I don't know. Perhaps you should have it."

Ichigo was opening the present the moment it entered his hand, before he took out the object inside. It was a simply wooden badge with a skull and cross on it.

"This is…," Ichigo said shocked. "Thank you. But how did you know?"

"You're most welcome," Sosuke replied. "I heard from Kugo that your old badge was destroyed and hence you would need a new one. All Soul Reapers have one after all. It's their combat pass, their sign that they are a Soul Reaper, just like the Quincy have their crosses."

"Your old badge was destroyed Ichigo?" Isshin cut in, his voice showing the surprise he felt. "When was this?"

"During Halloween," Ichigo replied, confused.

"But you said you mastered Fullbring near the end of the year."

"Yeah," Ichigo said simply. "Why?"

"Never mind," Isshin said quickly. "It's not important. As long as you mastered Fullbring, it should be okay."

"Well then," Kisuke said as he appeared from another room. "It looks like we are all here. Good to see you again by the way Sosuke."

"And you brother."

"Are you two ready?" Kisuke asked as he turned towards the two twelve year olds. "This will be the first true step to becoming a Soul Reaper."

"Let's go already," Kugo said, mimicking what Ichigo was thinking. "We've waited long enough."

"Okay then. Let's go."

Kisuke swiftly led them to the room he had come from where he revealed a trap door in the floor. Without waiting for them, he jumped straight down, ignoring the ladder that was placed down the hole. Sosuke did the same while Ichigo and Kugo were left to slowly descend the ladder themselves, Isshin watching over them as he followed down the ladder behind them.

When the two finally saw where they were, their eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. They expected a smallish room to be there. Instead, there was something akin to a barren wasteland, stretching on all around them. The place was filled with a mix of rocks ranging from small to quite large, some even dwarfing the people around them. Wherever the walls were, it was impossible to tell. They seemed to have been painted in such a way that they resembled a clear blue sky. It Ichigo didn't know any better, he could have sworn that they were outside.

"Do you like it," Kisuke called out to them as he saw them slowly approach him. "It's my special little training ground, loaned specially to you guys."

"How the hell did you get this here without me noticing," Isshin demanded as he glared at Kisuke. "I would have heard something."

"Sure you would have," Kisuke said as he hid his face behind a fan he had pulled out. "Just as you would have noticed that the black cat that lured you away was a bit too smart for a normal cat. And just as you would have noticed Tessai slip through the front door as you left."

Isshin scowled while Sosuke looked impressed. Despite not being a proper Soul Reaper, Tessai Tsukabishi was known to be extremely capable, especially with the lost arts of Kidou. He was half the reason they had recovered a lot of the ones they knew. "Amazing."

"You flatter me Sir," a man said as he appeared from behind one of the rocks. He was a tall person, possessing a lightly tanned body with a fair amount of muscles. His hair was cornrowed with a large handlebar mustache that connected to the sideburns around his face. A pair of rectangular glasses rested on his nose. As for his outfit, he was simply wearing a plain white shirt and brown trousers, a blue apron over it all.

"Anyway," Kisuke said as he turned back to the two kids. "What we are doing has three main steps. The first is quite simple. Bring out your Fullbring.

Ichigo and Kugo looked at each other for a moment before complying. As the energy dispersed, the adults got a good look at their Fullbrings.

"A lot like a skeleton," Kisuke commented as he examined Kugo's Fullbring. "And from the look of it, it's purely a physical form. What's the name of it?"

"Cross of Scaffold," Kugo responded with pride.

"I see." Kisuke quickly turned his attention to Ichigo. "This is on the opposite end it seems. The entire thing is made from energy, a lot of it being focused around the right arm. Name?"

"Sword of the Aegis."

"Not bad name. Did you know your hair is white like this?"

"WHAT!" Ichigo immediately started trying to grasp a bit of his hair to see for himself. True to Kisuke's word, it had truly turned white.

"Relax," Kisuke said, trying to calm him down. "Sometimes a Fullbring causes chances to the physical form of the user. It's rare but not unusual when it appears."

"I see," said a calmer Ichigo.

"Okay, step one is complete."

"What…" The two boys were perfectly in sync, even the looks on their faces matched.

"Step one was simply to make sure you could use Fullbring and had it completed. I already know you can both use Bringer Light so there is nothing more to worry about here. Now, we can move onto step two."

As he finished his words, two giant holes opened up beneath both Ichigo and Kugo, dropping them in.

Tessai immediately ran to the edge of the holes and clasped his hands together, his index finger and his middle finger intertwining intricately with each other. "Bakudou 99: Kin."

As the two kids fell, they felt their arms forced behind their backs as a black fabric tightened around them with iron shafts securing the fabric from loosing.

Kisuke watched with an amused smirk as they two hit the floor of their respective pits.

"What the hell," Ichigo shouted up until he noticed what had happened to his arms.

"Welcome to the Shattered Shaft," Kisuke said seriously as he looked down at the two. "This is the place where all Soul Reapers begin their journey from. From here, you unlock the latent powers within you. From here, you embrace your heritage."

Kisuke gestured towards Tessai. "Tessai had restrained your arms with a powerful Kidou spell. You will not be able to use your arms here during this task. Bringer Light is also unavailable to you. There exists a gas in this hole that stops you pulling out the souls of objects around you. The only way to escape is to use your own soul's power."

Kisuke stabbed his cane to the ground as he flung his arm out to the side. "If you want to become a Soul Reaper, then break free of this cage. A Soul Reaper must fight with their own strength, not the strength of the souls around them. We exist to protect those souls, not to make them fight for us. Show the world your resolve. Because unless you learn, you won't even leave this hole. If you can't learn, you'll be left down there to die."

He brought up his fan to cover his face before his jolly tone returned. "Good luck."

* * *

_**Of Darkness And Light**_

* * *

For the eleven time that day, Uryuu cursed his grandfather to his entire being.

If any of his friends, and yes he had decided to classify Ichigo and the others as such, heard him right now, they would wonder why he was so angry at his grandfather. It had looked like they were reconciling after all at the station. He had even asked Souken to help train him in his Quincy powers.

He was now wondering if maybe that had been a mistake.

He had seen how the Quincy were taught in the Vandenreich. It was a lot simpler. Just form a bow using one of the training foci available. They were unique in the fact that they naturally drew in energy towards themselves, and allowed the bow to be formed and for the Quincy in training to get a feel of the energy the bow was made of and how the energy was drawn in.

His grandfather meanwhile had laughed when he heard what they did for training, claiming that they were all fools. He even questioned how any of the Vandenreich got so strong in the first place, though it was highly likely that it was due to latent memories in the blood. Quincy blood was strange in the way that, while physical memories won't pass on, it can remember the feel of some techniques, allowing an easier time of learning them.

There was this lady he told him about for instance who never trained in the use of the Bluts but had been able to use Blut Vene better than almost everyone.

It showed the power a pure blood could posses for their training. The purer the blood, the easier the memories come. Quincy like them were referred to as Echt Quincy.

As a mixed blood, or a Gemischt Quincy, he didn't have that method available to him. His grandfather had said that if he wanted to be mediocre, then by all means use the inferior method. That was something that his pride just would not accept.

So then, his grandfather went on to explain the Ishida family method, the reason behind why their family always produced such powerful Quincy.

For anywhere between hours to weeks, a prospective Quincy was placed inside a sealed room. There were no windows and the only door was hidden in the wall, unable to be seen from the inside. Inside the room, there was nothing. The room was completely bare. There could be no distractions during this training. Nothing was even allowed in the room with Uryuu after all.

Then he felt it. It wasn't anything hurtful in a sense, more like an annoyance. From what he was told as he entered the room, small packets of energy were being continuously fired at him every second. After spending a while in this room, it began to get on your nerves. It didn't hurt but it did stop you being able to sleep. After a few days of it, it would really start to drive you insane.

The point of this exercise was to learn how to control the energy around them. Souken had given him a long lecture on how Quincy drew their power from around themselves to fight for others. The whole point of Fullbring training had been to learn how to connect their own power with the power outside their body.

So now, in this sealed room, there was only one objective. The same as the Vandenreich asked for. Form a bow. It was easier said than done.

He had been gifted a Quincy cross for forming the bow but every time he got close to gathering the energy, he would lose his grasp as the rest of the energy around him would cause too much interference. He had been at this for days with very little progress. At least after last night, he had finally been able to get some sleep, even if he got woken up every so often. It must have been part of the training as well as the only way to get some sleep was to absorb the energy hitting you as you slept. You could only do it for so long subconsciously though before you lost control and it woke you back up.

And the worst part was that every time his grandfather came in with some food and water, he could see the old man laughing at him despite how much he tried to hide it.

Just like he was doing right now.

"Do you have anything better to do than annoy me?" Uryuu snarled out as his Grandfather sat down opposite him, waiting for him to finish eating.

"Now now Uryuu," Souken said with a smile. "That's no way to talk to your beloved grandfather. I though you wanted to learn from me. Was I wrong?"

Uryuu stared at his grandfather in annoyance for a moment before looking away. He had asked for the training after all. He had no right to complain about it or take out his anger on his grandfather. He was only trying to help reach his full potential.

"Say," Souken said as he leaned in, his eyes darting around the room. "How about I give you a little demonstration eh? It may help to see the final product."

Uryuu looked towards his grandfather in disbelief. Was he really suggesting that he would show him how to form the bow? He could swear the whole point of the exercise was to learn on your own. It had to be part of the reason the room was so bare.

But then, he had been at this for days with no progress. It was really starting to get on his nerves and if he didn't get it soon, he might go insane. Surely there was nothing wrong with asking for a little bit of help every so often.

Uryuu looked down at the Quincy cross around his right wrist. It was just hanging there, the energy from his latest attempt already gone. The most form he had gotten was a covering of light blue energy around the pendent and that was it. He just couldn't get it to move out into a bow shape.

Uryuu was about to accept when he remembered what he had felt earlier when he had managed to finally fall asleep. Despite it being short, he couldn't help but feel proud at his achievement. He had managed to make a fair amount of progress without a single bit of help. With Fullbring, he had gotten it easily with the help of the Vandenreich nearby. They had practically told him how to do it so he could start the combat training as quickly as possible. There had been no sense of accomplishment with completing it like he had felt with those few hours of sleep.

"I'm okay," he finally managed to say, handing his plate back to his grandfather along with the glass. "I can manage myself."

"Your choice," said Souken as he picked himself off the ground and left the room, sealing it behind him. Uryuu didn't see the wide smile on his grandfather's face as he left, his back turned to him. Instead, he went straight back to training, attempting once again to gather the energy for the bow.

Meanwhile, Souken placed the plate and glass down on a nearby table before walking over to a nearby room next to where Uryuu was training.

"Father," Ryuken commented as Souken walked into the room, not looking away from the monitors in the room.

"Do you need me to take over yet?" asked Souken as he looked at the devices Ryuken was currently attached to.

"There is no need," Ryuken answered, hiding the exhaustion from his voice. "I can keep going for a lot longer."

Souken sighed as he stood next to his son. "You know, there are other ways to make things up to him. You don't need to force yourself to keep at this."

"I'm glad he didn't accept your offer," Ryuken said with an attempt to move the conversations direction away from that topic. "He is learning what to truly take pride in."

"Yes, I am too, but please Ryuken, don't change the subject. If you explained your reasons for why you stopped caring, I'm sure he could find a way to understand."

"I never stopped caring," Ryuken snarled at him, reminding Souken of Uryuu just a few minutes ago. Like father, like son.

"Then why?" Souken asked.

Ryuken looked at the screen, his eyes glued to Uryuu. "Kanae."

"Ah," said Souken, understanding what his son was saying. "His mother."

"I couldn't bear to be near him when she died," Ryuken admitted. "I was a coward. And in that moment of weakness, before I could recover, the Vandenreich got their claws in him. It's my fault they clouded his mind and it's my fault that he lost faith in our family. Did you know that he began to wish he had been born an Echt Quincy? Can you imagine that? He believed his own mother was impure."

Souken placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Do not fault yourself for mourning. The Vandenreich are cunning. They have wanted a chance to claim one of us for their own for years and they knew that he was vulnerable with no one to help him. It was a simple matter for them to turn his views upside down. We should just be thankful that Ichigo Kurosaki helped put him back on the right path."

"Isshin's kid?" Ryuken said, hiding a smirk from view. "At least I'm not the only terrible parent."

"Isshin has done a fair job," Souken said in an attempt to defend the man, "but I have to admit, I wonder why no one ever contacted social services. Attacking one of your kids isn't a normal parental activity."

Ryuken nodded before his gaze wondered back to the screen, smiling faintly as he saw Uryuu get a little further in creating a bow. Seeing this, Souken slowly retreated out, leaving his son to be on his own.

"Kanae," Ryuken muttered softly. "I'm sorry I took so long. I'll make it up to you. I promise you, Uryuu will never fall back into their grasp. As long as I'm alive, the Vandenreich won't get him again. I swear."

* * *

**_Of Darkness And Light_**

* * *

Hogwarts was silent. The paintings were all asleep and the ghosts were resting down below the castle. No students were present and the only living people were the teachers, most of them now leaving to go to their own homes. This was what happened after every staff meeting.

Even Severus Snape left, most having no idea where he even went. They just assumed he had a house somewhere and worried for his neighbours. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick would normally stick around for a while, discussing their holidays so far and talking about their favourite students and their expectations for them the coming year.

Right before they left, they had found a new topic to discuss. Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts. His books left something to desire and, while he was obviously a talented writer, they remembered him at Hogwarts. He had been terrible. The fact that people believed he could do what he said he could was ludicrous.

After they left, Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, was always left staying there. He once said his place was at Hogwarts and he meant every word of it. He had studied here, later taught here, and eventually lived here as the school's Headmaster. Voldemort had never truly gotten a chance to take Hogwarts because of Dumbledore's constant presence after all.

The only other person who remained in the castle with him though was Professor Cuthbert Binns, the ghost who taught History of Magic. Most people liked to believe that the Professor thought it was still school time, and hence that he taught an empty classroom. There were even bets on about when he would realise he was dead and finally pass on.

Professor Binns never seemed to notice though. He just floated by, never saying much and acting like the old man he was. His classes had slowly gotten more and more tedious for the students and they would all normally fail his class in the end if they just listened to him. The only reason people passed or did well was because they could simply study from the textbook. None of them ever looked into any other books for their information when he already ruined the history for them with this dreary tone.

It was exactly what the Professor had wanted to achieve all these years.

The moment the ghost entered his office, the door shut and he lowered himself to the floor. He didn't need to be this close to the ground but he liked to remind himself of when he was still alive. Things were simpler then. When it was just him and his love of the past.

Today however, the normally expressionless ghost was caught between happiness and panic. He stretched his arms out as his mind wondered. On his desk were the reports of the students' grades, a circle round one of them. Ichigo Kurosaki.

The boy had gotten the highest grade ever since he had started trying to fail his students. It was almost perfect. The Hufflepuff must have searched through other books for his information as well and his essays were always some of the best he had seen for his year group. The boy reminded himself of, well himself, before he died. The man who had loved history with all his heart and soul, and had died because of it.

The Headmaster at the time had never looked much into why he had wanted to teach at Hogwarts. He had been a great historian. He had the pick of anywhere in the world to go research about, yet he choose to teach. If he had looked further, had asked about why Hogwarts, he might have learned something shocking.

It had started as rumours for the Professor. He had always been fascinated with myths and conspiracies. They always left a mystery behind, something to solve. They were new and undiscovered, every historian's dream. So when the man had heard a legend about the school, he couldn't resist.

Years passed as he taught and he slowly got closer and closer to his mystery. Then one day, he may a shocking discovery. The Founders of Hogwarts were all from muggleborn families. Even Salazar Slytherin, the ideal for pure bloods, was muggleborn. It could change the way everything was seen. Politics, muggleborn prejudice, everything could be seen differently. It was truly surprising and shocking if those four had been so powerful let had been muggleborn. Was blood really power anymore?

In hindsight, he should have stopped searching then. He had learned something no one else knew. And it seems he shouldn't know either. Tracks had been hidden and the story lost till he found it. And yet, there were still holes. The legends of the Founders didn't match the records he found. The men and women of those stories were said to have held great powers, yet their powers that he found didn't seem to be any kind of magic he had ever seen or heard of. Were they a higher level of wizard or was it something else that had given them strength. Things like the Sorting Hat had never been able to be reproduced after all and no one even could understand how Godric Gryffindor had done it. And Salazar Slytherin was known for being a Parselmouth. If he was muggleborn, where had his ability to speak to snakes come from? It was a bloodline gift after all yet he suddenly gained the ability.

Before he could find the truth out though, he died. It had been quick. The man was kind and had even explained why he had to die. He had come too close to the truth and that could not be allowed. The truth had been hidden for a reason and was so that no one could go looking for it. He had almost ruined hundreds of years of work.

The man though had offered him a chance to help when he had come back as a ghost. He had asked if he would help stop people from searching like he had. The truth could only be told to a certain few when it was time and it was not yet time.

The dead Professor had thought for a moment before finally accepting. It hurt to teach history in such a way but he began to understand that it was necessary. What he had learned could have caused unknown panic and could get their entire history to be re-examined. It may have not been just the Founders that had been hidden after all. And if the man wanted that history forgotten, then he may just make sure no one can tell anyone, just like he did with him.

So now, with Ichigo Kurosaki showing talent and a mind to search to discover the information, Professor Binns worried for his student's safety. There was something about the boy that resonated with himself, just like all the ghosts seemed to feel. He couldn't help but try to find a solution. If left as it was, the boy could die just like he did. Maybe not now, but years later, before his time would be up. What could he do?

"Hello Cuthbert," spoke a voice from the corner of the room.

Professor Binns froze, shooting round to face the intruder. Not even the Headmaster could sneak up on him when he dropped his disguise. Only one person could. Him.

The man stood there, cloaked in red. He couldn't see his face but he didn't need to see him to recognise him. He never saw his face last time after all. The man stood there in the corner, a sword resting in his hands against the floor.

"Why are you here?" the Professor questioned, facing his killer.

"Me," spoke the cloaked man. "Why I'm just checking up. You had a decent class this year."

"You leave him alone," Binns said defensively. "Ichigo Kurosaki has done nothing wrong yet. I can divert him if he gets too close."

"You can relax," the man said as he walked closer to the ghost. "I mean the Soul Reaper no harm."

"Soul Reaper…" Binns shock his head in disbelief. The boy was one of them? He didn't seem at all like a dark creature.

"You are a historian aren't you?" the man said mockingly.

"Is it that obvious?" Binns asked, ashamed he had judged the boy on rumours instead of fact. He had always put facts over fiction when he could, only using fiction to search for the truth.

"To me," the man said cryptically as he looked through the few papers on the Professor's desk. "Soul Reapers may seem dark but then what is a dark creature? Merely a creature that's power is greater than that of what is seen as the light. What people see as light magic has always been weaker than their counter part. Different uses after all. Dark magic was the magic made to fight after all. Blame your government for the labels they put on it."

The man seemed to think for a second. "Actually, those Quincy may be an exception. They can seem weak but they are anything but."

The man took his attention away from the desk and spun to face the ghost. "Enough with this social call though, down to business."

"You want me to edit what I teach again?"

"No," the man said quickly. "I'm afraid your services aren't needed anymore."

"I can rest?" Binns said shocked. "But I thought-"

"Gears are moving and time is shortening," interrupted the cloaked man. "The time had come for the past to be shown to the chosen few."

"I see," Binns finally said, a weight feeling like it was being lifted off his shoulders. "Then I'm going to go on ahead then."

"Enjoy your rest," the man said softly as he placed a hand on the ghost's forehead, not even shocking the ghost when it didn't pass through him. "You've done well."

A light began to emit from the Professor as his form became clearer. A circle of light surrounded him and the man took his hand away from the Professor's forehead. Binns slowly lowered further into the glowing ground below him. The moment he finished sinking into the circle, it disappear, no indication that it had ever been there.

The man looked at the spot before he started to move away. While it may have looked like the Professor had just gone through the floor, the truth was rather different. He had finally passed on, the light sending him to the afterlife. The man could only hope that he enjoyed it. He had lived long enough on his own after all.

The cloaked man gave one last look at the room before departing. The Headmaster would have noticed that his History Professor was missing and would be here soon to check on. He had things to do now and he had to act fast. Albus Dumbledore would need a new teacher for the following years. He had a resume to sort out. If someone else took the spot well, he could always organise a few accidents. This school was dangerous after all, with all those moving staircases as a great example.

When the headmaster finally got to the classroom, the man was long gone. Albus Dumbledore was left standing in the room, wondering what to do and what Severus would say when he learned he had finally won the bet.

* * *

**_Of Darkness And Light_**

* * *

And there we go. The first chapter of the new arc. I guess you could say this is the history arc in a way. I'm going to be trying to set things up here that will tie things together throughout the story. The past can be a very useful tool after all.

You probably noticed how Ichigo and Uryuu both had different kinds of speeches given to them. I've interpreted how Fullbring is viewed to both groups here as Soul Reapers use their own soul in battle while Quincy get help from the energy around them. I hope I made the speech meanings clear enough. I really liked Kisuke's one.

Now in other news, I've had a lot of ideas flying around my head for other stories and I plan to try and write at least one other alongside this one. Blame my lack of writing for so long. It's those exams fault that I have all these ideas in my head.

Due to having a few different ideas, I want your opinion on which I should write. I can comment on things or sent me a PM or just vote on my profile. I want some opinions on which you think I should write. I may end up choosing a different one to what people say but I'm just curious what people may want to read as well.

Don't worry though. This is my main story so you don't have to worry about this story being stopped. I'm taking this one to the end no matter what. It's going to be one long ride.

More details are on my profile if it's updated by now.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	21. The Shattered Shaft

Chapter 21 here for your enjoyment. Don't forget about the pole on my profile by the way. I want your opinions about stories and I already have one or two ready to start on, though one of them may be written completely first before publishing. Who knows.

Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

**21 - The Shattered Shaft**

Silence filled the training ground as Isshin and the others monitored the progress of the two young Soul Reapers below them. It had been three days since their training began and neither had gotten out yet.

No one showed any panic at the lack of progress. It was not expected for them to make the transition from Fullbringer to Soul Reaper very quickly. For some, it took weeks. One person even took months to grasp his power.

"Are you sure we shouldn't feed them?" asked Sosuke concerned. He and Isshin had chosen to stay away from the holes while Tessai and Kisuke kept an eye on the situation.

"Nonsense," Isshin replied. "Do you not remember our training? We never needed food and neither do they."

"Ah," Sosuke said as he turned to examine the holes by Tessai. "How could I forget?"

"Indeed. The Shattered Shaft does more than just stop Fullbring. It messes up the senses slightly. You don't need to eat while in the hole or drink either. You don't need sleep as well. What can be terrifying though is that you lose track of time so easily. One second there could have actually have been an hour here. You lose your grasp on how time passes down there."

"It's a good thing too," Isshin continued embarrassed. "I spent about two months trying to unlock my powers. I would have died normally if I lived without food for that long."

"You did?" said Sosuke, Isshin realising his mistake in that instant. "That long?"

"How long did you take?" asked Isshin, already regretting speaking.

"One week," answered Sosuke happily. "I heard Kisuke took one or two more days compared to me. Were you born without talent?"

"Hey!" Isshin protested until he noticed the teasing look on Sosuke's face. "You're teasing me."

Grapping his brother, he slung an arm over his shoulders happily. "I knew you could have a laugh. And here I though everyone else in the family was all serious like father."

"Isshin," Sosuke said as he looked at his brother with pity. "We all have fun. It just happens at your expense."

"WHAT!"

"He's right you know," said Kisuke as he joined his brothers. "You really took teenage rebellion to a whole new level. What made things worse was that it didn't end when you became an adult. You're like an overgrown child."

"Hey…" Isshin tried to protest.

"Indeed," said Sosuke, purposely blocking Isshin from the conversation. "You have to wonder what Masaki saw in him. I'm still wondering how he gave the psychiatrist mental problems with his mere presence."

"I agree. It's like he radiates insanity. Imagine if Ichigo had taken after him."

"I'm not that bad," Isshin muttered weakly.

"Regardless," Kisuke said as he sat down, his cane resting on his legs. "You saw their Fullbrings didn't you?"

"Kugo's is interesting," stated Sosuke. "The sword must be what his Zanpakuto will look like eventually."

"Probably. The purpose of using a Combat Pass as a Fullbring base allows a small amount of their power to be released, hence we can get a glimpse at what their sword will look like and so they can get a grasp on how to fight with it."

"But you're worried about Ichigo," said Isshin seriously. "He uses something more… personal to him, and hence it drew more energy than normal."

"You saw his Fullbring," exclaimed Kisuke. "It was nothing but pure energy. It couldn't form anything physical like Kugo because there was so much of it with little shape. This is why we use the Combat Pass after all. There's more danger with a personal object."

Kisuke turned towards to Isshin as he spoke. "You saw firsthand didn't you?"

Isshin nodded. "His arm's been messed up with burns from his own power and the colliding energy from Quirrell's spells. Oh, Quirrell's this wizard he fought when disguised with his Fullbring by the way." He swiftly added the last part as he noticed his brothers' confusion at the name.

"How is Ichigo coping?" questioned Sosuke. "You spoke carefully to him didn't you?"

"I'm not an idiot always Sosuke," Isshin shot back. "He suppressed it but I managed to help him with any lingering problems. Someone else already beat me to it."

"I just want to know how he got his Fullbring base though," interrupted Kisuke.

"It can't be that important can it?" asked Sosuke. "Though it looked a lot like-"

"Masaki's cross," finished Isshin. "I saw that cross around her arm every day while she was alive. I would recognise it anyway."

"They way you're speaking," said Sosuke, "is like you didn't give it to him."

"You thought we gave it to him for a Fullbring didn't you?" demanded Kisuke.

"Nothing like that," Sosuke said as he tried to diffuse the anger directed at him. "I thought that Isshin gave it to him as a gift at one point and that he just never said what to do if his Fullbring base broke."

Kisuke turned to Isshin. "Is this true?"

"I didn't tell him what to do if it broke," said Isshin. "And when he didn't ask or mention it, I assumed everything was okay."

"What about the cross?" asked Sosuke.

Isshin and Kisuke shared a glance before Isshin spoke. "When Masaki died, we were there as quick as we could. We found her and Ichigo but we later learned that her cross was missing. It wasn't scattered around anywhere, it was taken. Like a trophy."

"Disgusting," Sosuke managed to stammer out. "But then how did Ichigo come into possession of it? Are you sure he didn't just have it on him?"

"We're sure," said Kisuke. "Besides, in his state on that day, he wouldn't have been able to take it if he wanted to. I hadn't ever seen him so unresponsive."

Sosuke scratched his head lightly. "So we're dealing with a new party. Any ideas what we should do?"

"Leave it," said Kisuke abruptly. "So far, we don't have anything to go on. We simply wait for whoever is watching him to slip up and then we close in. There are simply too many people it could be. A smart muggle, another Soul Reaper, a Quincy, a wizard, an extremely smart Hollow… You get the idea."

Before anyone could say any more, an explosion of energy could be sensed in the distance by where Tessai was sitting. They were moving before it even died down. By Kugo's hole, something shot out and crashed into the ground outside. The collision causes a lot of dust to kick up in the process.

"Tessai?" Kisuke said as he looked towards his assistant.

"The Kidou was broken sir," came the reply. "Nothing unusual to report."

"Good," muttered Kisuke. "Just had to check."

The dust slowly cleared to reveal the dark haired boy in the middle of it, crouching as he gasped for air. His appearance had changed slightly though. His clothes had somehow been switched with a black shikakusho.

"What the…" said Kugo as he looked down at the outfit.

"Interesting isn't it," said Kisuke as he walked over to the boy. "When a Soul Reaper draws out their power, their attire changes to this, give or take a few additions. Some people generate scarves while some have the sleeves altered. The constant is this shikakusho though. A badge identifies you as a Soul Reaper. The shikakusho puts the fear in them before you even get close."

"No matter the age," Kisuke said as he walked back to Tessai, "no one underestimates someone wearing this unless they possess a similar level of power. A Wizard would fear any of us, regardless that you would be younger than many of their strongest. Age never matters in a battle of power. Only the amount you possess and the skill you can use it with does."

"I see," said Kugo, gathering himself. "How long have I been down there?" He gestured at the hole with one of his hands.

"About three days," said Sosuke as he placed a hand on Kugo's shoulder. "That is quite impressive that you found your power so quickly."

Kugo couldn't help but smile. He knew that he would probably get it downplayed later on but for right now, he could enjoy it. And from the look of it, Ichigo wasn't done yet. He was first."

"Should we leave for now then?" he asked as he looked up at Sosuke. "Ichigo could end up taking a while."

"Don't be silly," said Sosuke, his gaze locking onto the hole Ichigo was in. "I have faith that Ichigo will be done shortly too. If anything, he will probably be any time now."

"I agree," said Isshin. "You two are similar in ways. If one of you finished now, it's a high chance the other will be almost done too."

Kisuke looked down at Ichigo. "Ah, it looks like he is about-"

A scream filled the air. It only took a second to recognise that it was coming from Ichigo and another to surround the hole he was in. What they saw filled them with dread.

"No…" Isshin said as he gazed down in fear.

"This didn't happen with Kugo," muttered Sosuke as he kept his eyes on Ichigo's form.

Kisuke silently agreed with his brother. "This is bad."

On Ichigo's face was the start of their horror. A strange white substance was spewing from his mouth and leaking from his eyes, and it was beginning to form a mask. A white mask.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

'How long have I been down here,' thought Ichigo.

Time had been passing, that much he was sure of. How much though, he had no clue of. Sometimes, it felt like only a few minutes. Others, it felt like weeks. He hadn't slept at all in this time or eaten.

Why did he not need to eat? He had asked himself this many times now. The same with why didn't he need to sleep. Kisuke had said that they could die down here. Why wasn't the lack of these things causing him problems?

Once again, he felt his gaze wondering around the deep hole he was in. One of his first attempts had been to try to run up the walls as fast as he could. Each attempt was a bit more successful that the last but still, no progress was being made. The furthest he had gotten was a few metres up before he fell.

Why were his hands bound? Could they climb with their hands if they were free? This line of thought had lead to him trying to break the Kidou around his arms. He had gone as far as to try and pull out the power inside him to break free.

It didn't work. In the end, his mind worked out that, while his method may work with some Kidou, it wouldn't with this one. He could have sworn he heard that Tessai guy say something about it being level ninety at one point. Was it during the chant? It didn't matter. All that did was that it meant that the Kidou was very powerful.

So if he couldn't break the Kidou with force, and he doubted he knew the technical skills to release it, he had resorted to trying to climb up backwards. It produced much better results that the running method. His hands could grasp onto the rocks and he used his feet to help propel himself upwards.

After a quarter of the way up, he had reached an impasse. The jagged edges of rocks in the wall began to disappear as he went further up. The walls would get smoother and smoother till he had no more handgrips to go further. There was no way he could jump out at that point. He was too far in and he wouldn't even get near the top no matter how hard he tried.

He had to try though. Perhaps he could find a small place to grab as he jumped. He had tried this several times in the hope that he would achieve some kind of success. None came. He could swear that the people watching him were both laughing at him and impressed with his resilience.

They were definitely monitoring how he was doing. For how long, he wasn't sure of either. Time just kept slipping away. He had spotted them a few times though. His dad had been there when he had been trying to run up the wall originally while he had spotted Kisuke and Tessai when he had to break the Kidou spell.

Sosuke had appeared a few times, always spotting his different attempts. He had been there a lot when he had been trying to climb the wall with his hands bound. He could have sworn that his uncle looked pleased at his attempts.

He wondered how Kugo was doing. They were in separate holes after all so he couldn't even get a glimpse of his cousin. He doubted he was out yet. He couldn't hear anything above unless someone stood right by the edge of the hole and shouted down so he could be wrong but he knew how Kugo acted. If he got out first, we would want to at least gloat slightly.

If he had learned one thing about Kugo, it was that he liked to hide encouragement behind other words. He would appear to gloat when in reality, he would be trying to motivate him. He couldn't deny that he always learned quickly when he was being challenged by someone. And those taunts in his Fullbring training had been really good at motivating him to kick Kugo's ass.

No, Kugo wouldn't be out yet. He was certain now. How was his cousin doing though? Was he having the same problems as he was? Had he tried the same methods? Had he thought of different ones? Maybe what he had tried was more successful for Kugo. Maybe what Kugo tried was better in this hole.

The questions buzzed round his head as he contemplated what to do. How would he get out of this hole? Kisuke had said to use his own soul's power but how? How did someone draw out their soul? How did they use it?

It was the basis of all Soul Reaper powers, that much he knew, but what did it mean? His dad had never been very forthcoming on how a Soul Reaper operated, putting it off until he was older. Though now he thought about it, his dad had never used his powers in his presence even once. He had no idea what to expect or what to do even if he drew out his power.

He knew one thing here. He had to keep trying. He refused to give up and he refused to let this beat him. He would get out of this hole, even if it killed him.

To pass the time while he thought, he had attempted his previous methods with varying amounts of progress. As he fell once again to the floor, he noticed that he had begun to feel differently. Was this what he was looking for? Was this the power inside him he needed to grab?

It felt good, yet at the same time, it didn't. It was right, but also, it was wrong. It was like he had found what he was looking for, but at the same time, he had found something else too. Something he didn't want to find.

It was at this moment when he started to notice something he had missed for a while. He felt… hungry? Why hadn't he felt it before? Surely he would have noticed this a while back? It seemed to come from that presence he had found. Hunger. Raw hunger. For what, he didn't understand. All he knew was that he needed to eat something.

His eyes gazed hungrily around the hole before staring upwards. There was nothing down here but maybe there was something up there. Whatever he could sense, it was delicious. It was irresistible. He had to get to it.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he was trying to climb up the wall once again, desperate to get to the cure for his hunger. He didn't even notice some of the marks left in the wall from where he had grabbed the rocks in it. He just assumed this strength could be part of what Kisuke was talking about.

He fell though. He had gotten further than before but it still wasn't enough. What did he have to do to make it?

Another smell seemed to appear at the top. It was just taunting him now, being out of reach.

His heart hurt. Why? What was causing it? Was it the fall? Was it the gas that was meant to be down here? He couldn't understand why it was hurting so much. It was like it was being ripped out of his chest.

'No,' he though. 'It's more like it's being dissolved.'

It certainly felt painful. God, why did it hurt so much? He would do anything to spot this pain. The hunger was beginning to grow worse as well. Maybe if he ate something, he would feel whole. He was just so hungry and it hurt so much.

An itch grew in his throat as he felt himself coughing. It didn't stop though. It felt like something was trying to force its way out of his mouth.

He didn't even notice when he began to scream. He didn't notice when the white substance spewed from his mouth and began to leak from his eyes. He didn't notice as pure white mask began to form from it around his face. All he saw was darkness as his surrounds disappeared before him.

And then the darkness moved.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

Kisuke, Sosuke, Isshin, Tessai, and Kugo looked down at the figure of Ichigo below them, a range of emotions between them.

"What is happening Kisuke?" Isshin demanded as he turned to face his brother. "Why is my son becoming a Hollow?"

"Calm down," responded Kisuke in a tone that left no room for discussion. "Pay attention to what's happening below for now."

Complying, Isshin focused purely on his son. Ichigo was continuously screaming from the pain of the Hollowfication and already had a quarter of the mask formed over his face.

'Wait,' Isshin though as he looked from the mask to Ichigo.

"You saw it didn't you," Kisuke said, noticing the confusion on Isshin's face.

"Yeah."

"What's happening to Ichigo?" Kugo asked as he positioned himself by the edge of the hole. "I thought Hollows formed differently?"

"Smart boy isn't he Sosuke," muttered Kisuke, his eyes not leaving Ichigo's form. "Did you teach ahead a bit?"

"It was best that he understood the process of Hollowfication earlier on so that he would be able to stop it as early as possible. We all favoured certain teachings first after all."

"Smart. Well then Kugo," Kisuke said. "You should know that when a Hollow is created, the body explodes outwards and is remade into something new. The mask then forms as the body is recreated."

"But look," Kisuke continued. "The mask is forming while the body remains intact. It's a sign that Ichigo is resisting the process. He hasn't given up yet."

"Because of that," Isshin added, "he could still become a Soul Reaper. Thing of this process as a timer. He has to find his powers before the clock runs out, else he becomes a Hollow."

"But if he becomes a Hollow, won't he be extremely dangerous?" asked Kugo.

"Indeed," answered Sosuke. "He will. We just need to hope. And if he doesn't make it, we will stop him before he can harm anyone."

"So we are all in agreement then," Kisuke said. "We'll wait until the last possible moment. And until then, we can only hope."

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

"Ichigo."

Ichigo spun turned to see the man he had seen previously in this world. "Ah. It's you old man."

He let his eyes drift around the tilted world. "This place hasn't changed much."

"It doesn't normally. It is a representation of your soul after all."

"Yeah," Ichigo muttered. "I remember you saying something about that last time I was here."

"I did, didn't I," the black clothed man replied. "I won't bother telling you my name right now. I don't believe you will hear it yet."

"Again, what is it with this name thing? Why can't I hear it?"

The man smiled at the orange haired boy. "You will understand in time."

The man turned to look at the world around him, as if sensing something. "You are becoming a Soul Reaper it seems."

"Yeah," responded Ichigo. "I need to become stronger."

"I see." The man walked over to a flag pole nearby before stepping onto it. "This training method your family has devised, I do not like it. It is causing you unnecessary pain and suffering."

"What do you-" Ichigo stopped speaking suddenly.

"You have realised what is happening right now to your body don't you Ichigo."

"My body?" Ichigo looked down at himself in fear.

"You should be afraid. This is why I don't like this method. You are becoming a Hollow."

Ichigo felt his body freeze. "A Hollow? You mean I'm becoming one of those monsters?"

The black clothed man nodded. "Indeed. You are running out of time. I do wonder though how long you can stand there though."

"What do you-" Before he could finish asking, Ichigo felt himself falling. He screamed as the world seemed to correct itself, the man above him correcting himself on the flag pole so to not fall in the new orientation of the world.

The black clothed man watched Ichigo fall for a moment before he let himself fall after him. It took only a few seconds for him to catch up and to continue the conversation despite their situation.

"Why are you screaming Ichigo?"

"Why?" Ichigo shouted back at him. "I'm going to die."

"Die?" the man asked. "Don't be ridiculous. There are countless amounts of energy around you. Simply solidify them below yourself to catch yourself."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"Try," stated the man. "Or if you can't do that, then find your powers as a Soul Reaper."

The man broke off from his fall as he stood floating in the air, as if demonstrating his point. All around him, the massive skyscrapers were turning to small falling boxes as they broke apart. Even the floor below was breaking apart, opening up into a sea of nothingness.

"This world is falling apart," the man spoke down to Ichigo. "If you ever needed to find your powers, it was now. In these boxes, one of them contains your power as a Soul Reaper. Seek it out."

"Are you kidding," Ichigo screamed up. "There must be thousands of these things. How am I suppose to find the one that contains my power?"

"There is no time for excuses. There is no time left to debate," the man said grimly. "If you don't find your powers before this world disintegrates, you will become a Hollow."

Ichigo watched as the man became blurred in the distance and as he himself fell into the void below. Hundreds of boxes had already fallen down and many more were still coming.

'How do I do this?' thought Ichigo. 'It's impossible.'

The task did seem so. There was little time left and there were simply too many boxes to search through.

What could he do? It wasn't like he could check each box nearby. He had time for maybe four or five and that was without this break to think. If only there was a way to sense…

'Wait,' thought Ichigo. 'That day that I found Uryuu without trying, I did it by sensing his energy. Can I replicate it to try and find my Soul Reaper powers?'

Closing his eyes, he left his senses spread out like never before. His mind desperately searched for the tiniest sign when he felt something.

When he reopened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by ribbons. Each ribbon led to a different box. They were as white as snow and looked exactly the same. All but one. It was red.

He didn't need to hesitate. His mind already knew this was the one. Grabbing the red ribbon, he gave it a swift pull and found the box he wanted in front of him, the cover of it yanked open. Inside was a sword hilt with red wrappings around it. Two light blue tassels were attached to the base of the handle. The rest of the sword was hidden in the box.

"You found it Ichigo." Ichigo spun round to find the black clothed man standing beside him. "Next time we meet, I hope I will be able to tell you my name and that you will be able to hear it."

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, staring at the man in wonder. This man knew so much yet he didn't even know what he-

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!" the man screamed at him as Ichigo suddenly noticed the state of the world above him. "This world is collapsing. Pull me out! Now!"

He didn't stop to think now. His hand grasped the hilt and pulled.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

As Ichigo struggled internally, the others stood waiting patiently. The mask was almost complete and yet they could see no sign of progress from Ichigo.

'Hurry up Ichigo,' though Isshin. 'I don't want to bury another one of my children.' And that was the worst thing. Because he knew that if Ichigo became a Hollow, there wouldn't even be a body to bury.

A flash of movement caught their eyes as some of the iron shafts broke of the black fabric and flew across the hole.

Spotting this, Tessai flung himself down the hole and landed near Ichigo at the bottom. He immediately crossed his legs and intertwined his fingers like before, attempting to strengthen the spell holding Ichigo at bay.

It was no use. The spell held for a bit longer but the other shafts soon followed the pattern of the previous ones, Ichigo's arms almost freed from the seal.

"We can't wait much longer sir," he shouted up. "I'm switching to suppression mode."

He brought his arms apart and stabbed the two fingers that had been intertwined against the floor in front of him.

"Bakudou 99 part 2: Bankin."

White bandages sprung into existence out of the floor and flew towards Ichigo.

"First song: Shiryu." The bandages attached to Ichigo and wrapped around him from head to foot, concealing his body from view.

"Second song: Hyakurensan." Metal bolts appeared and stabbed into Ichigo, firmly securing the bandages around him.

"I can barely restrain him sir," Tessai shouted up. "He needs to be destroyed now, before he becomes a Hollow."

"If he finishes that incantation," said Sosuke quietly, "then Ichigo will die."

"I know," whispered Isshin. "Come on Ichigo."

Kisuke's hat shielded his face from view but they could all feel the sorrow he felt when he spoke. "Time's up."

Tessai seemed to take this as he cue as he began the final part of the spell, his hands slamming together in front of himself.

"Final song: Bankin Taihou."

A giant cube of metal formed above Ichigo, as he finished the chant. Tessai waited a moment for any last signs before letting the cube drop. As it fell, part of the bandages burst off, revealing the Hollow mask and the hole in his chest below it.

Isshin looked away from the sight as the cube was about to crush Ichigo. Just as it was about to connect though, an explosion filled the hole, the blast so great that it even shot out of the hole.

"Over there," Sosuke pointed out as they saw something fly out of the blast. The thing flew down to the ground and crashed into it, dust kicking up from the collision.

"Well then Ichigo," Kisuke said as he slowly approached the crash site. "Did you become a Soul Reaper or a Hollow?"

As the dust cleared, they began to see a figure dressed in a shikakusho like Kugo's. The only difference was that a massive sword was attached to the figure's back and held there by a large strap going around from his shoulder down to his hip. On the figure's face however was a mask.

The mask fit around the figure's face perfectly and was pure white. The only change in colour was the two stripes of red, both curving down around the left eye hole. By the mouth, the area was decorated with a row of teeth, perfect for devouring things as Hollow teeth were. Around the mask, you could just about see the orange hair Ichigo was known for.

As the figure slowly went for the sword on his back, Kisuke drew a sword from his cane. Kisuke examined the sword the figure was holding. It was massive, a testament to how much power Ichigo had at his disposal, and how little control he had of it as well.

Instead of moving to strike however, the figure smashed the hilt of the sword against the mask, shattering part of the lower half. The figure grabbed the remains and flung it off his face, revealing Ichigo behind it.

The adults let out a sigh of relief as Kisuke returned his sword to the cane. Isshin had to stop himself running over to check Ichigo was alright. He was completely sure that we would go overboard in his caring.

"Well done then," said Kisuke jollily as he drew out his fan. "You completed part two of your training. Congratulations."

He didn't expect to suddenly get punched in the face by his nephew, the large sword now returned to the scabbard on his back.

"You know," Ichigo said to Kisuke with a scowl. "I don't remember any warnings about turning into a Hollow at any point. Care to explain what the hell was going on?"

"A side effect of the Shattered Shaft," Kisuke said as he lied through his teeth. The others noticed it but didn't bother to point this out to Ichigo. "It's extremely rare this happens but there have been a few times where a Soul Reaper became a Hollow instead. You were lucky in that you made it in time."

"Whatever," muttered Ichigo as he moved to join Kugo. "What's part three?"

"Part three? I won't be teaching you this."

"What?" the two boys demanded.

"Now hold on," said Kisuke as he tried to explain. "It's not that I won't teach you, rather that I can't teach you."

Seeing that they were still confused, he elaborated. "The last step is different for everyone. Every soul is different so every Soul Reaper has a different trial to overcome and a different level of strength to achieve in different areas."

"Perhaps you should explain it a bit more," suggested Sosuke, noticing the two still didn't completely understand what Kisuke was referring to.

"Very well then," said Kisuke. "We have a lot to talk about anyway. You need to completely understand what a Soul Reaper is and what a Hollow is as well. So tell me then, what is a Hollow."

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

And chapter end. You will have to wait till next time for what Kisuke is going to explain. The next chapter is a lot more informative in a sense. I'm setting up some terms in my explanation so I can finally use words like Reiatsu. For those who don't know, you will learn about the 4 main arts a Soul Reaper must know.

Don't forget to review on your way out and vote on the profile pole.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	22. Explanation of Power

Your weekly chapter is here. Chapter 22.

A quick thing you may notice is some spelling changes in names. Kugo had been changed to Kuugo from now on. It's because his name is Kūgo Ginjō and because of that, I translated it wrong. Ū should have become uu and ō should have become ou. Sorry for any confusion this may have given. I will attempt to find the other changes needed as well as I go. I did the same with Ryūken becoming Ryuken instead of Ryuuken. I will head back a few chapters to correct them soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

**22 - Explanation of Power**

"So then," asked Kisuke. "What is a Hollow? A Hollow is a Soul whose regrets grew and grew, until they eventually clawed out their own heart. They don't do it literally but the heart eventually just collapses and leaves a hole in their chest. You must have noticed that most Souls have a chain attached to where their heart is. That is what it represents."

"What about the ghosts at Hogwarts?" asked Ichigo. "They don't have them."

"I think you will find that they will," pointed out Isshin. "However Hogwarts is a very rich magical environment. One of the highest we've even seen. It allows them some freedom in that they can hide the chain beneath an illusion. They are bound to the school so deeply that they can't move from that state without help, and that also stopped them from becoming Hollows. They are stuck in between."

"Thank you Isshin," said Kisuke as he took back the reins of the conversation. "Back to the matter. The time taken for a Hollow to form can vary but, if left alone, they will become a Hollow. Even if takes days or months or even years, they will all suffer that fate. The chain slowly eats itself, something we call encroachment. It gets to the point that it destroys the chain completely and leaves the hole in their chest that is seen on all Hollows."

Kisuke looked at the two to make sure they understood what he had said so far. "As Kuugo already knows, the body will then explode outwards and then reform into the Hollow's new body. The form actually takes some inspiration from the original Soul. If we take a Wizard for example who could become a cat, they would end up having some cat like features when they became a Hollow."

"The mask is a good example," Sosuke contributed. "No Hollow mask is ever the same. Two Hollow masks could be a cat but they would have different markings. And then the body of the Hollow will also be different as well."

"Thank you Sosuke," said Kisuke. "Now a Hollow becomes stronger by devouring other Souls. The stronger the Hollow, the more Souls it has devoured and the more it is made up of."

"Made up of?" asked Ichigo. "But the Hollows I've fought always fought like they were one person."

"They are," explained Kisuke. "But they also aren't. They end up being made up of many Souls but there has to be a decisive one, normally the one who was the original. It's that original Soul that controls the Hollow while the rest contribute to its strength."

"One thing to note is that even a muggle can become a strong Hollow instantly after that muggle transforms to one. They have a trace amount of magic inside them like every creature does. It just isn't enough for them to use. Now when someone becomes a Hollow, the power inside them grows exponentially. That's what makes a Hollow so dangerous."

"There is another way for a Hollow to form though," said Kisuke regretfully. "The Quincy know this as well. You see, we were the ones that first learned of Fullbring. Hence they blame us for these stronger Hollows."

"You see," Kisuke explained, "Fullbring can be used by more than just us. Wizards can learn it as well, though it takes far longer for them to do so. Very few even try as well since they need to have a certain amount of strength in the first place."

"The problem occurs when the Wizard tries to go beyond what they obtained. Soul Reapers and Quincy are fine, however for a Wizard, they don't have anything to reach for. They're standing at the edge of a pit and are leaning in. Anything that falls into this pit will always climb out. For a Wizard, they need to climb out as well. And so magic transforms them into a Hollow so they can escape."

Ichigo and Kuugo shared a worried glance at each other. Kuugo seemed extremely worried at something and Kisuke could guess at what. Then again, they never said not to teach Fullbring to others. Just be careful with how far they go with it.

"Now why do Hollows eat Souls?" Kisuke asked, steering the conversation away from that revelation. "The answer is why they have a hole in their chest. The hole is where their heart was and the mask is to hide their faces from the world. The mask however is the heart. Break the mask and the Hollow dies. The fact that the heart isn't inside them anymore though creates a feeling of emptiness. They eat to fill that void but it never ends. The only thing to do is to purify them."

"Purify them?" asked Kuugo. "How do we do that?"

"Well, with Soul Reaper powers," exclaimed Kisuke, waving his arms for dramatic effect. "Our purpose is to cleanse the Hollows of their sins and send them on to the afterlife. Of course, if they were a sinner before becoming a Hollow, they'll end up in Hell. And trust me, you never want to see that place."

"It's important to note that there are four main disciplines that a Soul Reaper trains in," explained Sosuke, taking over for Kisuke. "These are Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidou, and Hodou

"Now Zanjutsu evolves the use of a Zanpaktou. If fact, I believe Tessai should be coming with something right about now."

True to his word, Tessai appeared from behind some rocks as he walked towards the pair. His attire was a bit worse for wear and his glasses were barely holding themselves together. In his hand however was a single case. Placing down by the group, he flipped open the locks and withdrew a katana from the case and handed it to Kuugo.

"Now you have a sword as well Kuugo," Sosuke said. "These swords are known as Asauchi. They are the basis for Zanjutsu. You learn how to use them mostly on your own from here as Zanpaktou are unique to each Soul Reaper. You will learn the basics as you Zanpaktou teaches you."

"An Asauchi is a nameless Zanpaktou. Over time, as you train with this blade, you imprint your own Soul onto it. It slowly becomes your own unique Zanpaktou, each with their own power and their own name."

"You must have noticed when you entered your mind in the Shattered Shaft that there was someone there to greet you. Am I wrong?"

Neither of the boys shook their heads, though Ichigo did speak up.

"They are our Zanpaktou, aren't they."

"Indeed," confirmed Sosuke. "How did you know?"

"When I found my powers," Ichigo admitted, "the man there told me to pull him out. It made me wonder if he was the sword itself or at least a manifestation of my powers."

"Exactly right," Sosuke said. "That would have been your Zanpaktou. A Zanpaktou spirit will help you and teach you in how to use your Zanpaktou. No one else can even compare to their teachings. What works for me after all may not work for you and vice versa."

"Now then. When you reach a certain point, your Zanpaktou will see that you are ready and will reveal their name to you. They probably have already tried a few times by now but you won't have been able to hear it. Something will be still stopping you in that case, and you need to find out what it is and overcome it.

"You should also remember," Sosuke added, "that the Zanpaktou will allow you to send Souls to the afterlife. Simply tap the head of the ghost with the hilt's base and a Konsou is performed. With that, the Soul will pass on."

"The next thing Soul Reapers use is Hakuda. I know that you've been learning this already Ichigo but for Kuugo's benefit, Hakuda is basically a fighting style we Soul Reapers have developed over time by watching others. It's specialised for extremely close combat where your entire body becomes a weapon, and it is extremely deadly when you become proficient enough. You could easily overwhelm your opponent with strong, fast strikes that stop them from even managing to counter."

"Kidou is the third discipline. It's a lot more like normal magic in a way in how it can require chants and movements. The effects are sometimes similar as well. Kidou can also be classified into a few different categories. If you would like to take over Mr Tsukabishi?"

"Thank you sir," Tessai said politely as he took the attention of the boys. "There are three categories for Kidou. They are Bakudou, Hadou, and Kaidou.

"Let's start with Bakudou Kido. Bakudou, or Way of Binding, consists of spells designed to restrain, contain, and seal. As you saw before, you were unable to break out of Kin until you unleashed your Soul Reaper powers. In normal circumstances, you wouldn't have been able to break out of it that easily so I needed to lessen the power of the Kido itself."

"One thing you will note about Bakudou spells is that they will rarely be able to harm your enemy. They are first and foremost restraining spells. Only the very top spells can cause damage as well. Don't ignore them however. Stop your opponent's movements and they can't avoid your strikes."

"Hadou spells are the opposite. They are purely destructive spells and are designed to inflict as much damage as possible. Some can take the form of a bolt of lightning while some are instead fire balls. Hadou, or Way of Destruction, can be extremely deadly at the top levels. Some are beyond imagination."

"The last type of Kidou is for healing. That is Kaidou, or Turn Way. This takes a lot of precision though and requires you to have perfect control over your own power. I doubt you two would be suited for it as you two have a lot more power than the average Soul Reaper. Having this much energy at your age means you will likely end up like Isshin in the way that your power will be more suited for overwhelming the target rather than supporting your allies and healing their wounds."

Everyone turned to look at Isshin with this who simply shrugged sheepishly. "What? I was got better at controlling my power but I was never at Retsu's level. I could heal cracked rips and such but internal injuries were too difficult without the right amount of control. Then again, I doubt anyone is at her level. Even her Zanpaktou is a healing type."

"To finish with Kidou," Tessai said as attention returned to him, "is how they work. The first word is the type of Kidou as you have seen, followed by the number. The higher the number, the stronger the Kidou. Don't disregard the lower level Kido spells however as lower levels require fewer words to be at their strongest."

"After the number is the spell name. Kin for instance is with Bakudou 99 however it won't work with Bakudou 98. Certain words match with certain numbers. It's why we still are searching for the spells as we don't know all of them yet."

"The higher the Kidou spell, the more energy required to cast it. The later ones would be extremely taxing, if even useable at your level. As for their strength, a Kidou is at their strongest if you use the chant before calling out the spell. Allow me to demonstrate."

Holding out his palm, he rested his other hand on the outstretched arm. "Hadou 31: Shakkahou."

A small orb of crimson energy formed in front of his arm before blasting towards one of the rocks, creating a large hole in it.

"Now let me show you the spell at full strength," Tessai said as he pointed himself towards a slightly bigger rock. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hadou 31: Shakkahou."

The orb was far bigger this time and the moment it connected with the rock, it shattered it into pieces.

"Thank you," Tessai said as he backed away, leaving the two boys to look awestruck.

"The final discipline," said Isshin as he took over, "Is Hodou. Hodou, or Fast Movement, is the simplest in nature as only one true technique exists here. The rest is just learning footwork or applications of the main one. It is one of the most important skills however. Shunpo, or Flash Step, will allow you to move incredible fast in a short amount of time."

"You remember how Bringer Light works don't you? It was a very linear technique and, while fast, it is easy to predict where the person is moving to given enough time. Shunpo is different. A single step and you can move in any direction. You could back away, get behind your opponent, get above them, the list goes on. It is harder to deal with unless you learn to sense where you opponent is going to appear, and not everyone at your level can do that until you practice a lot."

"Train enough in it," Isshin added," and you will find that a single step can get you quite far. The speed you can move at will increase and so will the distance you can travel in a single step. Father for instance can travel miles in a single step. And that's not even the limit. I know someone who was nicknamed 'The Goddess of Flash' for her speed with it."

He could see the excitement in the two as he backed off, leaving Kisuke to finish.

"Well then," Kisuke said as he retook the stage. "That leaves only one last thing. You must have noticed some differences between you and the other students at Hogwarts. Maybe it was small but they never seemed to have as much magic available as you or their spells weren't always as strong in terms of power."

The two nodded.

"That's because the magic inside you is different from the magic inside Wizards. It's denser, more potent. You don't need as much energy for magic since you don't even need to use as much. The magic we have is the same as Quincy and Hollows. This denser magic is referred to as Reiryoku, or Spiritual Power."

"Kidou spells are powerful. Surely a Wizard would have seen us use them at one point and would have tried to replicate it. They could get something similar but the effect would be far weaker than the original. All abilities Soul Reapers, Hollows, and Quincy use involve using Reiryoku. Wizards don't have Reiryoku, and the few rare ones that do don't have enough of it."

"You will find that your Reiryoku will be what any abilities you use as a Soul Reaper will require. This can range from Kidou like I said to Hodou and even increasing your own body's physical strength. We're a lot more durable than most because of this and it ends up helping us a lot with fighting Hollows."

"Quincy and Hollows can use techniques in a similar way like to us, though technically a Quincy would use what is known as Reishi, or Spirit Particles. That's the energy flowing around us in the world."

"Now while Reiryoku is the energy inside you," Kisuke explained "it also leads to using Reiatsu, or Spiritual Pressure. This is the force or pressure you emit by your Reiryoku. Higher levels of Reiryoku will lead to higher levels of Reiatsu. It can be used in many different ways. Become strong enough and your enemies can't even move in your presence as you can make your power overwhelm them without moving. Some Reiatsu even takes on different traits as well. Father's Reiatsu actually produces fire."

"Reiryoku can be sensed by those with it, which you may have already begun to experience. Even Wizards can be identified and the same with muggles. Every person emits a different pattern of Reiatsu and there are vast differences between different types of creatures. It's how we can recognise where a Hollow is after all."

Finishing, Kisuke examined the two boys who had listened patiently to the explanation. They would go far, he was sure of it.

"Well then," he said as he drew his sword from his cane again. "We have some time left before Kuugo needs to head home. I might as well teach you a bit of basic Zanjustu right now. Let's go."

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

Kuugo followed after Sosuke as they approached their home. The door opened for them as they got nearer, Kaname standing to the side to allow them entry.

"Lord Aizen," Kaname said as Aizen passed, because he had dropped his kind 'Sosuke' act and had reverted back to his true persona. "I trust your trip was enjoyable."

"It was most illuminating," said Aizen cryptically. "Reminded me of something I observed years ago."

Kaname nodded as closed the door behind them, Kuugo following quickly after Aizen.

"I'm glad you managed to not embarrass yourself Kuugo," said Aizen, testing the boy's control over his emotions. Kuugo's face didn't change much but Aizen could spot the slight anger beneath the exterior.

"Of course not Uncle. You trained me after all."

"I did, didn't I," said Aizen, lost in thought. "I wonder what would have happened if I didn't. Ichigo adapted quite quickly, didn't he. It was most impressive."

Aizen grinned internally as Kuugo scowled. It was so easy to manipulate the boy. His jealousy of Ichigo made things way too easy, and if there was something he loved, it was a challenge. It was why Ichigo was so interesting. He had his trust but even he could see that the boy would never follow him if his instincts said not to. He would never join him and help him with his plan willingly, yet he was too interesting to ignore. How far could he grow in power and what limits would he reach? It was impossible to even predict.

Kuugo was also observing though. He could see the gears turning in Aizen's mind to an extent. Even during the training, he had barely seen him look at him. He had watched Ichigo's every move, his every action. He was stronger than Ichigo was, he was sure of it. Yet Aizen only had eyes for him. It was infuriating.

"Well then," Aizen said in dismissal. "You may leave me. Don't bother me unless it's urgent, and even then, see if you can deal with it yourself. You are a Soul Reaper now after all."

With that, Aizen marched off to his office and shut the door behind him, heading straight back to whatever he had been doing before. That left Kuugo standing in the hallway, Kaname already gone to who knows where.

"Look who's here," said a voice jollily. Kuugo turned around to see a silver haired man, leaning against a wall nearby. "Little Kuugo, dressed up as a cute little Soul Reaper. You've even got an Asauchi with you as well. Don't you look the part."

"I am a Soul Reaper," argued Kuugo, not paying much attention to Gin. "I finished the training today."

"Really," asked Gin. "It took you, what? Three days?"

"Yes," Kuugo said proudly. His face dropped when he saw Gin's smile widen. It meant he was going to hate the rest of the conversation.

"Interesting. Did you know that I only took five days."

"So?"

Gin pointed to Aizen's office. "Sosuke in there took a week. Guess who's stronger?"

"Aizen," Kuugo said. "But-"

"Let me guess," interpreted Gin. "You beat Ichigo didn't you?"

Kuugo stayed silent. Gin took that as a yes.

"How very… naive. You believed that because you gained your powers first, you will become stronger than he will. If that was the case, I would be the one in charge and Sosuke would be my subordinate."

Kuugo didn't even see Gin move. One second he was down the hallway and the next, he was right in front of him, his hand of his chest.

"You may want to deflate that ego of yours," Gin said mockingly. "You want to beat Ichigo? To be frank with you, I don't think it will ever happen. Sure, you had the advantage in Fullbring, but he knows it now. You became a Soul Reaper, but so did he. And just watch, he'll shoot ahead of you before you even notice. He's the one Sosuke's interested in after all. Not little old you."

Every single one of those last few words were like a sledgehammer against Kuugo's heart, his mind repressing his desire to try and break the man in front of him. It wouldn't be wise.

Kuugo stared at the man for a moment before walking off, ignoring the laughter from behind him. He slammed the door of his room behind him and drew the sword from his waist. He couldn't deny that Ichigo could learn extremely fast. He doubted he had even seen the extent of it as well. The only thing he could do now was to dedicate himself to his training. He'd show them all. They would see how insignificant Ichigo was in time. And then he would be the one of top. He'd be the one they'd look at again.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

"Hey Chad," Ichigo called over to the giant as he and Tatsuki caught up to him. They had finally gone to get their school supplies after their letters arrived. His dad had been a bit crazy over the letters, exclaiming how old his son was getting. He seemed to make a fuss about anything just to say that.

"Ichigo," greeted Chad with a nod of his head. "Tatsuki."

"Hey Chad," said Tatsuki. "How've you been? You're letters don't say much."

"Fine," said Chad, saying as few words as possible. "Abuelo, these are my friends."

"Ah," greeted the man. "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Oscar Joaquin de la Rosa, but please, just call me Oscar. My name is too long for most to remember."

"Nice to meet you," said Isshin, standing behind Ichigo and Tatsuki. Kisuke had decided to not join them this time. He was more interested in their initial reactions anyway.

"You must be Isshin," said Oscar as he looked towards the man. "I heard a few things about you from Yasutora."

"Who?"

"My grandson."

"Oh, Chad."

Oscar sighed at the man. "What is with all of you calling my grandson that nickname. Yasutora is a wonderful name. Yet somehow, my grandson responds to Chad more than his real name."

"You'll get used it," Tatsuki said nonchalantly as she joined the others in walking away, the adults leaving them to their devices so they could catch up with one another. They had the money for their supplies anyway.

"What're you missing Chad?" Ichigo asked as he took out the school list for that year. "We've already got some new uniforms. The last ones had become a bit too small."

"I found that too."

"No way," Tatsuki muttered as she looked up at him. "You're already practically a giant. No way can you have gotten taller."

"I have also already gotten some potion ingredients," continued Chad.

"We got them first," said Ichigo as he looked down the list. "I guess the main thing he left is books."

"Who the hell is this guy anyway?" asked Tatsuki as she browsed through her own list. "Gilderoy Lockhart. I've never heard of him yet we need to buy a tone of his books for school."

"I heard of him," said Chad as he looked towards Flourish and Blotts. "He's here today according to that sign."

The other two glanced towards the sign outside the shop, reading that the man was in the shop today signing books. Their eyes then glanced towards the line that spanned part of the street.

"Please tell me that the queue isn't for buying the books," Ichigo muttered, hoping some deity would show mercy on them.

"It's busier than earlier," commented Chad. "I hoped it would have been calmer."

"Who the hell is this guy anyway?" asked Ichigo scowling.

"Who is he?" said one of the people in the line. "Where you raised in a hole or something? Gilderoy Lockhart is only one of the greatest wizards of our time. He's defeated all kinds of creatures, from Werewolves to Vampires."

"He's great isn't he," said a lady near the first. "He's so dreamy as well. Just look at that smile."

Ichigo droned out the rest of the conversation, switching his attention back to Chad and Tatsuki. "We're going to be here a while aren't we?"

Before the others could answer, he heard a voice nearby.

"Hey Kurosaki," shouted the voice.

Ichigo and the others turned round to face Uryuu, standing by the doorway.

"Ishida," Ichigo greeted back similarly.

"Hey Uryuu," said Tatsuki as the three approached the young Quincy. "How've you been?"

"Fine," said Uryuu, not revealing anything.

"You're as bad as Chad," said Ichigo. "Surely you could tell us a bit more."

"How have you been?" asked Uryuu randomly.

Ichigo paused for a second before speaking. "Fine."

"See," smirked Uryuu. "It's not so easy is it?"

"Am I the only one who can give a proper answer to that question?" demanded Tatsuki. "Fine then, I'll talk. Look at this." She pointed towards the medal around her neck.

"So what," said Ichigo. "You've been bragging about that thing for a week now."

"Not you," Tatsuki said, smacking the orange haired boy. "These guys."

"That looks impressive," commented Chad as he looked at the medal. Uryuu was doing similar things, pushing his glasses up so he could look closer. "What is it for?"

Tatsuki smiled proudly. "I won the tournament I entered. I didn't get through the regionals but I defeated everyone in the local one. And even then, I did decently in the regionals."

"I would have gotten further too," she muttered angrily, "if it wasn't for that gorilla. Seriously, who the hell is that big at that age?" She turned to Chad for a second before shaking her head. Her opponent had been wider as well but not as tall and definitely not as strong. He was more suited for being a brawler than martial arts. A year or two more and she was confident she could beat him easily. She just needed to train more.

"What about that?" asked Uryuu, gesturing towards the small sweatband around her wrist.

"What this?" Tatsuki said, raising her arm slightly to look at the object. "Complimentary prize. Got it for my progress in the tougher tournament. I like it though. It reminds me to get stronger and win next time."

"Interesting," Uryuu said as he glanced towards Ichigo for a moment. None of them noticed it though. "Anyway, my father is inside getting the books for us. He saw you all approaching and began to pick up a few extra copies that we would all need."

"That's nice of him," said Chad. "Please thank him for us."

"There is no need," said Ryuuken as he exited the shop with a pile of books. Half the books suddenly disappeared from the pile as Isshin swiped them up.

"Thank you my old friend," Isshin said dramatically, balancing the books in one hand. "How have you been Ryuuken."

"I've been fine Isshin," Ryuuken said offhandedly. "I see you are still as childish as ever. Let me ask you something though. Did you ever grow up?"

"That's harsh," exclaimed Isshin as he slung his free arm around his friend's shoulders. "After so long, this is how you treat me? You're as bad as Ichigo and Karin. Even Yuzu treats me coldly sometimes."

"I'm glad they weren't born stupid then."

"Hey."

"It was always a possibility," said Ryuuken as he handed a pile of books to Chad's grandfather. "Masaki was lovely but your stupidity is just too great. I feared it would be hereditary. I even wonder why Masaki married you sometimes. Then again, she was always a bit different from the rest of us."

"Of course she would have married me," said Isshin, sticking out his chest slightly. "Because I'm awesome."

The others watched the two bicker back and forth, each exchanging small barbs at the other yet still talking fondly, or at least as fondly as the two of them could. Ichigo and Uryuu glanced at each other for a moment and shuddered. Neither of them wanted to end up as their father, even if Ryuuken was the saner of the two.

They were distracted by the sound of a crash. The group turned to see a red haired man attack a blond haired man, looking a lot like an older version of that Slytherin that pestered Harry Potter quite a lot.

'What was his name?' thought Ichigo as the fight continued. 'Dango, no that's food. Dragon? No, too dangerous. Dexter? Why the hell would a pure blood wizard be called Dexter?'

"Come along Draco," the older blond said as he left the shop angrily, nursing his swollen eye slightly.

"You forgot his name didn't you," said Uryuu, noticing his expression. "How the hell did you remember all those dates and names in History?"

"Shut up," Ichigo scowled. "Those names are easy because I saw them often enough or it was important to remember them. I don't even interact with… Malfoy?"

"Got it in one," said Tatsuki. "Though did you see that fight? It was more like something seen in a pub brawl. I've seen kids my age with better technique than them."

"Why would Wizards need to fight physically," said Ryuuken distastefully, "when a swish of the wand can fix all their problems."

Tatsuki shuddered. "Ichigo, if I even become that sloppy in fighting, make sure you punch me in the face. That should snap me out of it."

Ichigo nodded as Ryuuken suddenly froze, tapping Isshin on the shoulder. Isshin turned to see what was so worrying before his gaze grew cold as well.

"We're leaving," he said as he grabbed Ichigo and Tatsuki steering them away from the shop. Ichigo and Tatsuki barely had time to say goodbye before they were out of site.

"That was odd," muttered Uryuu as he turned to see what his father was looking at. He found out as the man walked out of the shop, the people looking absolutely terrified of him. Behind the man explained it all. A fire of blue flames was burning up a tone of books and Gilderoy Lockhart had backed himself into a corner, as far away from the man as possible.

'Wait,' thought Uryuu as he examined the flames. They weren't being powered by normal magic. These flames were made of Reishi.

Then it all made clear who the man was. He didn't seem to spot them to everyone else's perspective but Uryuu saw the slight glance he gave them. He understood why now Isshin had left with Ichigo. Before him was a member of the Vandenreich. A Quincy.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

Dumbledore let out a sigh of relief as he put away the last of the job applications. Unlike the Defence Against the Dark Arts job, History of Magic had an overflowing amount of applicants. The job wasn't cursed after all, and people always said how great Hogwarts was and what an honour it was to teach there.

His first action had been to get rid of those that weren't qualified. Which was basically anyone who hadn't passed the class with an OWL. No one had taken the NEWT exam in over a hundred years at the school. Binns had been so boring that when he tried to observe his lessons, he began to fall asleep.

It was a good thing he could hide it well. His reputation would take a big blow if they learned he could be defeated by Binns and his lectures.

And then, after those people were gone, there were still huge numbers of applicants. Another chunk disappeared as he removed all those with the questionable morals. Most of those had been 'Former' Death Eaters, and 'Respectable' pure bloods. If one of them had been left unchecked in the school, who knows what would happen.

And then there were the lessons they could have been taught. History was a delicate thing. Many different sides, each showing events differently. With that much power over the students, they could corrupt so many of their young minds and make them believe that Voldemort was actually saving the Wizarding World from the muggleborn menace. What Voldemort could do with that much support upon his return was absolutely unacceptable.

Then he had finally gotten to the competent teachers. All of them were good, with a nice amount of knowledge in their minds. Few though were truly passionate about the subject though. They just wanted to teach at Hogwarts, not teach History of Magic at Hogwarts.

Most of them as well could have been easily persuaded to join Voldemort. Few would have loyalty to him meaning he wouldn't be able to trust them. Defence Against the Dark Arts was never a problem there as they would always been gone at the end of the year, one way or another.

He had almost been losing hope when he found that man's application. While most of them had been long resumes and the person's history and what they knew and could do to benefit Hogwarts, this person had basically scrapped all that.

Quite literally in fact. The rest of the knowledge was still there, hence why he managed to get it in his shortlist. The thing that drew his attention though was the small post-it note on the front with just a few words on it:

"Please let me teach."

He had seen these words in many difference applications but never like this. In the few words, he could see what he wanted. Someone else must have created the original resume and the applicant must have added this last minute note on top. It didn't matter though. These few words showed the man's desire for the History of Magic position, not just the Hogwarts job. It was the determination to teach and to truly love the job.

He checked the rest of the resume to be sure and he was confident the man could do the job. And if his words on the front hadn't convinced him, the resume had. He didn't just know a bit of History, he knew massive amounts. From Goblin rebellions to ancient civilizations, the amount he could offer the students was immense. He might even see a few NEWT students in a few years if this man was as good as he seemed.

The rest of the applications wouldn't change his mind now. They weren't as good as this man and he didn't even need to meet this man to make sure. He would let him know he got the job and invite him down to the school to show him around and let him choose a classroom. The previous classroom may not be the best place if he wanted to make the students enjoy the class. Too many boring lectures in that room.

The name wasn't familiar so the man definitely hadn't studied at Hogwarts. He wondered where he had learned all this knowledge though. It would normally take a life time or two.

Dumbledore shook these thoughts out of his head. He had finally found the perfect teacher. No point having doubts now. There was still a trial year as well that he would have to go through. The board would want anyone taking the job to be subjected to it to access the improvement in the area. He had a year to prove his worth.

"Do you think he will be a good fit here?" he asked Fawkes, letting the Phoenix finalise his decision.

The Phoenix tilted its head in thought before nodding. That was all it took for Albus Dumbledore to reach for a quill. Fawkes could tell if someone was trustworthy. If Fawkes thought this man was a right choice, then he had no doubts left. He had a letter to send.

He didn't notice the happy looks of Fawkes and the Sorting Hat as he wrote, too absorbed in his work. The two nodded to each other before returning to their usual routines, the Sorting Hat humming lightly as he switched out some words for the year's opening song. He had a reputation after all and he had to make sure the song was perfect like always. It would be embarrassing if there was no meaning in it after all.

Dumbledore ignored this too as he wrote the letter to the man. The moment it was finished, he was about to fetch an owl when Fawkes grabbed the letter with his claws. He stared Dumbledore down before the man relented. Fawkes probably wanted to stretch his wings for a bit. He had only just returned to full size after all and had been inside for far too long.

So he let the Phoenix disappear in a flash of fire, allowing the letter to reach the recipient. After all, there was no reason to suspect why Fawkes had demanded that he deliver the letter. If he had sent an owl himself though, he would have noticed that the owl would have simply refused. He never would learn this though so he would never need to ask the man this.

He would never suspect who Ashido Kanou was.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

Chapter 22 is done. I hope you all liked it.

It's a lot more informative in what I've written compared to most chapters. I needed to get a load of stuff out of the way. Since this started from scratch, terms needed to be introduced that I'm sure you are familiar with. If you weren't familiar with them for some reason, I hope it all made sense.

Next chapter is onto Hogwarts. We've got the second year ahead of us and a story to come. Look forward to this year as it's going to be good.

The pole is still up for those interested, though I have already started work on one of them. I don't know when I will release it yet as I want to try and get a lot done first. The chapters will be big though I hope. The first was about 10,000 words after all.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


	23. Invisible Omens

Well… it's been a while hasn't it. Sorry about that. Excuses are that I was distracted by things for a while along with coming up with ideas for my new story. It's out already if you want to read it. Protector of the Fairies.

The writing style has improved in my opinion and I'm hoping to improve it here as well with that style. I don't know how much this chapter resembles that style as I wrote most of it a week ago and I needed to finish it up before releasing it.

Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Bleach. I'm just letting you all see inside my crazy mind to see what the two look like fused together.

Image Disclaimer: Image by FrAgMenT from deviantART

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

**23 - Invisible Omens**

Ichigo let his head rest against the window of the train, the time passing slowly.

He was glad to be back on the train. There was something about Hogwarts that made it so appealing to people, even if he did have to hide part of himself. It was already hard enough with casting magic considering how often he seemed to do things that shocked the teachers.

Sometimes, he envied Uryuu. If he got similar results, it was normally due to great control and talent, not a complete accident from overpowering the spell. At least it would help with Defence Against the Dark Arts. Extra power was always helpful when it came to duels and battles.

Speaking of Uryuu, he had joined them shortly after he had gotten a compartment for them all. He and Tatsuki had forced his dad to get them there early this time. There was no way they could risk missing the train for a second time in a row.

Uryuu was sitting across from him and Tatsuki, reading a book with the cover hidden. He refused to say what it was but from the look on his face, he seemed to be getting angrier and angrier by the minute.

Chad was sitting closer to the door, quiet as always and commenting when Tatsuki demanded an answer. She had taken it upon herself to start the conversations since Uryuu was focused elsewhere, Chad was being Chad, and he was distracted by the scenery outside. He still had to give the odd response every now and then though, else Tatsuki would hit him to get his attention.

"And that's what happened after I beat him," exclaimed Tatsuki, Ichigo suddenly noticing she had moved onto a completely new topic entirely while he had been preoccupied. "He acted like such a little girl, crying for his mummy. Even Ichigo had more dignity when he cried when I beat him, and he stopped much at a much younger age than that kid was at."

"Ichigo… crying?" Chad tried to fit the image in his head, his mind combining different things he represented with each part. In the end, he had something of a mix between Ichigo with long flowing hair and a stream of tears running down his face. It didn't help that the Ichigo he pictured was the twelve year old Ichigo in front of him, and neither did the sappy romance film he had once seen as his only inspiration for the crying Ichigo.

He took one look at Ichigo before turning away, refusing to catch the orange haired boy's eyes. If he did, even his composure would break and he would end up either laughing uncontrollably or looking horrified at the image. Maybe a bit of both.

"Say Ichigo," said Tatsuki, her latest attempt at drawing Ichigo into the conversation. "What do you think that new Professor will be like anyway? I read all those Gilderoy Lockhart books and I have no idea what to make of him."

"I know what you mean," sighed Ichigo. "I'm starting to think that he's going to be the new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts. Why else do we need so many of his books?"

"He is," said Uryuu suddenly. "My father heard about it at his work. It's been all over the Daily Prophet."

"I see," muttered Ichigo. "Can we drop that class?"

"I'm starting to think you may be onto something," Tatsuki muttered as well. "I don't like the look of him."

"I mean just look at him," she exclaimed, waving her hands to empathise her point. "He's too sissy looking. I bet you could know him over with a stick."

"From the look of him," commented Chad, "I would say that he is unsuited to teach. He enjoys being a celebrity and is good at it."

"You're right there Chad," said Uryuu, finally putting the book down. "I read all the books as well and they are quite well done. They have a lot of detail and have the mark of an excellent writer. The problem is that they are too much like novels to be true. I noticed a few similarities of events in them that coincided with one another."

"So his actions are fake?" asked Ichigo.

"I doubt the acts are fake." Uryuu thought for a moment before correcting himself. "Most of them at least. Some of tales them may have been exaggerated a bit to increase sales and appeal but the events themselves are all possible to have occurred."

"I believe he is a fake," Uryuu continued. "It's the only conclusion. As for why no one knows, that is a mystery. They could have been paid off, killed, had their memory erased. If there was proof, because I'm sure we aren't the first to notice this, there isn't enough to have him arrested for it. And the man simply has too much political sway with the ignorant population to be discredited."

"So it's basically a waiting game," said Ichigo. "They wait for him to become too comfortable and make a mistake and then catch him."

"Seems like that's the only thing they could do," commented Tatsuki. "If what I heard about memory charms is right, they can leave the target in such a state that they wouldn't even remember the conversations take place."

"I would prefer Quirrell," stated Chad. Despite the man's excessive stuttering, they couldn't help but agree. He had at least taught them a fair bit, even if it wasn't up to the highest standards. But then, what could you expect? Every upper student had spoken of how Quirrell would have only lasted a year.

Every teacher for that role did for some reason. A curse they were told. It may have sounded harsh, but they all hoped it would keep up at least for the year coming up. If Lockhart was as fake as they thought, they definitely didn't want him as a teacher for too long. They would never learn anything.

Uryuu turned to the door before standing up, grapping a small pouch from his trunk.

"I'm going to get something to eat," he said. "Do you want anything?"

"Chocolate Frog please," said Tatsuki hungrily. Chad meanwhile just requested some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

"I'll have-"

"I'm not getting you anything," said Uryuu as he walked out. "Get it yourself."

Ichigo scowled before storming off after the Quincy, hearing Tatsuki and Chad star to discuss Chad's holiday in Mexico as he left.

It didn't take long to find Uryuu. He was waiting just a few doors away.

"We can talk freely now," he said quietly, the two leaning against the windows of the train, their eyes glancing around to keep a look out.

"Do you know why my dad forced me and Tatsuki to leave so early?" Ichigo asked. "Your dad seemed to know why."

"Trouble," Uryuu said cryptically.

"Anything else?"

Uryuu glanced around subtlety. "How much do you know about Quincy?"

"Not much to be fair," said Ichigo, scratching his head as he thought back to what he had heard over the holidays. "You guys use Spirit Energy like us but have different methods for it. Something about making up for a lack of power by excelling with your control over it."

"What about the relationship between our two families?"

"That?" asked Ichigo. "I didn't really get it but from what I heard from dad, grandfather is a bit against working with you guys. Something about it being our responsibility."

"You know about what Fullbring can do to Wizards then?" questioned Uryuu.

"Yeah. But I don't see why the Quincy blames us. Don't you guys use the same method?"

"We do," Uryuu admitted, "but not originally. Neither did Soul Reapers from what I can see. Fullbring was then discovered one day by one of the first Soul Reapers as a means to awaken their powers from their soul. It reduced the risk of awaking their Soul Reaper powers since they already had a link to the surface."

"We took it on when we learned it helped accelerate our original training," continued Uryuu, "but we wished it had never been discovered. The problem is that neither side wants to give it up, and even if they did, the knowledge is still there to be found. It wouldn't stop Wizards from learning it and there may be records hidden in their own family libraries. No matter how hard we could search, there is no guarantee we could stop them from learning Fullbring."

"I see," said Ichigo. "But how does this relate to why I had to leave?"

Uryuu thought on how to phrase his next words. "The Ishida… are unusual. We don't follow the patterns of normal Quincy, something I'm now starting to embrace. The point is that we see matters from both sides. We have a better understanding of the situation than others."

"That man," said Uryuu, "was from a different family of Quincy. We are the only ones left who believe differently to the others. The rest are members of the Vandenreich."

"The Vandenreich? What the hell is that?"

"I guess you could call it an empire of sorts. The Vandenreich are made up of every other Quincy in existence. From weak to strong, they all belong to them. And they don't share our views."

Uryuu paused for a moment. "The Vandenreich are lead by an Emperor, but no one truly knows who he is except for the elite, the Stern Ritter."

"Stern Ritter?"

"It's German for Star Knights."

"Ah."

"The point," Uryuu said, "is that they don't just dislike Soul Reapers. They despise them. They detest their existence and would like nothing better to do that to exterminate all of you. To put you down like dogs."

Ichigo's fists clenched involuntary. "If they think like that, then why haven't they tried?"

"Whoever said they haven't?" asked Uryuu.

"You mean they have already tried?"

"I think so," said Uryuu honestly. "I can't say for sure but by grandfather talked like it had happened once before. Maybe it was when the Soul Reapers and Quincy first appeared. As much as I hate to admit it, Soul Reapers are currently the strongest out of all the beings that can produce Reiatsu. That's why nothing happens much. They stay out of the other's way and hope for the best."

"I see," said Ichigo before a question popped into his head. "Do you think they will ever do something extreme?"

"No," said Uryuu sharply. "They may hate you but as I said, they know they are outmatched. That kind of gap can't be covered in such a short time. If they ever go to war, it won't be for another few hundred years."

"I see." Ichigo turned to Uryuu. "Ever think we can all solve our differences?"

"Maybe. Grandfather has dedicated his life to doing such a thing but he has had no luck so far. Then again, he never knew a Soul Reaper personally."

"What about your dad?"

'Dad?' thought Uryuu. 'He's a Quincy without pride in his blood. He may be friends with a Soul Reaper but no one would listen to him when he denies their own powers.'

"No," Uryuu finally said. "My dad is not a good choice to solve these problems."

"Then it's going to be up to us one day," responded Ichigo. "A Soul Reaper and a Quincy working together. I doubt they would ever see that coming."

"Indeed," replied Uryuu. "We should probably get back soon. Tatsuki and Chad will wonder what is taking us so long."

"Yeah," said Ichigo as he watched Uryuu head away to buy the sweets they requested. Uryuu suddenly halted and turned around to face Ichigo.

"I'm still not getting you anything."

Ichigo watched the disappearing Quincy before he set off once again after him. "Damn."

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

The scenery changed rapidly as time passed, the sun slowly setting and the journey slowly shortening. It was only a matter of time till they finally found themselves arriving, the train slowly pulling into the station.

They had already gotten into their school robes. A mix of three with a yellow crest and one with a blue one. Hufflepuffs and a Ravenclaw.

Chad stood up to his full height and pulled the luggage down from the railings above, holding them easily without any signs of struggle. Sometimes they wondered if he was part giant or something. His strength just didn't seem natural.

Each of them took their trunks off him along with the three owls they had. Uryuu seemed to have gotten one recently, before managing to get by with the school owls. Then again, he hadn't been that interested in communicating with his family so it didn't matter if he had to wait a bit because there were no owls available.

When they saw it for the first time, they immediately thought white. It was a small snowy owl that was meant to be incredibly fast by owl standards. Uryuu however seemed to have been more focused on the colour. They were only just starting to notice how much Uryuu loved the colour white. He probably would have outfits with nothing but that colour.

Chad had a large brown owl, unusually tall for its species. It was quite strong as well. When the other three saw it, they could have sworn that they were looking at the Chad for owls. There was even a slight resemblance between the two. If Chad hadn't been sitting there, they could have sworn Chad had somehow become an owl Animagus.

With their trunks and owls in tow, the four second year students marched off the train, following the stream of students walking away from the station.

They could see the new first years being lead away by Hagrid. They seemed caught between a mix of fear, nervousness, and excitement. Were they the same in their first year? He hoped not. It would be way too embarrassing.

And arm found its way around his shoulders as the figure leaned against him. "How have you been cousin?"

Ichigo turned to spot two Slytherins in front of him. "Hey Kuugo."

"That's all?" said Kuugo in mock hurt. "No 'Great to see you' or 'How have you been'? I'm hurt Ichigo."

"So this is the famous cousin," the other Slytherin said, drawing Ichigo's attention to the boy. The Slytherin had wavy black hair with a scar running vertically along the side of his left eye. He wasn't sure where he got the wound from but he must have been young as the scar looked old, even at this age. He seemed tall as well. While he was thinner, his height was extremely close to Chad's. Give him a year or two more and he would probably be taller than him.

"Kuugo's spoken of me?" Ichigo asked.

"A bit," said the Slytherin. "I'm sorry, I know your name but you don't know mine. How rude of me."

It didn't seem like he actually thought it was rude, rather that he enjoyed having the upper hand. Then again, Slytherins were always like that. Have a plan and make sure your in control of the conversation.

"My name is Tsukishima Shuukurou. Pleasure to meet you."

"I guess you know mine," said Ichigo. "Ichigo Kurosaki. Second year Hufflepuff."

"Tatsuki Arisawa," said Tatsuki. "Same year and house."

"Yasutora Sado," Chad said. He didn't bother saying his year and house like the others.

"Uryuu Ishida," said Uryuu last. "Ravenclaw."

"Nice to meet you all," said Tsukishima, a grin on his face. "I'm sure we will all get along."

"By the way Ichigo," Kuugo muttered as he pulled Ichigo away from the others slightly. "Do me a favour. Can you see those things?"

Ichigo turned to see where Kuugo was gesturing. To his surprise, he could see what seemed to be skeletal black horses. Their faces seemed more reptilian in nature however but what was surprising were the bat like wings the horse had. Then again, it was magic so anything was possible.

"Yeah," said Ichigo puzzled. "Why?"

"No one else seems to be able to," muttered Kuugo. "I think they're called Thestrals or something but I wanted confirmation they existed first."

"I can see," came the response. "They look strange already. It would be worrying if only you could see them."

"I know," said Kuugo. "But what they're doing now is bothering me."

Ichigo looked closely at the carriages the horses were tied to and noticed it as well. While the ones nearer the back were empty, the ones at the front that were full weren't leaving. Surely they would have headed off the moment everyone was on right?

And what was even stranger was the looks the Thestrals were giving them. It was almost… devotion? Adoration?

"What are Thestrals?" Ichigo asked, trying to confirm something. He had an idea what was going on but he wanted to be sure.

"They're normally invisible to most. If you see death though, they become visible to you." Kuugo started chuckling. "You know, they are meant to be omens of misfortune and stuff. Not many people like them because of the whole death part."

"I see," said Ichigo carefully. "So I guess you could say they are close to death in a way."

"Maybe yeah, but what does…"

Kuugo looked at the horses again before sighing in resignation. "Are all of them looking at us?"

Ichigo took a few steps around the area and watched as the Thestrals turned to watch. Any left were focused completely on Kuugo.

"Yep."

As he took another step forward though, the Thestrals nearer the back started moving towards them quickly. Students had to jump out of the way of the carriages in order to not get hit. Some of them even felt getting pushed aside by the Thestrals, unsure of what was happening.

That one bit of movement by the back Thestrals triggered the rest. They all began moving towards the two Soul Reapers, as if ready to fight for the honour to carry them.

"Should we run?" asked Ichigo.

"Hell yeah," replied Kuugo.

As the Thestrals got closer, they turned and ran in the direction of Hogwarts, every Thestral hot on their tail. Some of the students already in the carriages had to hold on for dear life as they Thestrals seemed to forget they were pulling them along for the ride. They were just too obsessed with getting to their idols.

All the students left from second to seventh year looked at the carriages disappearing into the distance in shock. How often did you see magically carriages chase after two twelve year old boys after all?

Uryuu looked amongst the group, unsure of what to do. Even Tsukishima had lost his composure, looking at Kuugo's figure in the distance with worry and at the carriages in shock.

"So," Tatsuki began. "How the hell do we get to Hogwarts now?"

Chad took one look in the distance before shrugging. He adjusted his grip on his trunk and his owl's cage before he grabbed Ichigo's own trunk and set off after them, the others following his lead. They all just hoped they wouldn't get in trouble for this. It wasn't their fault after all.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

"For the last time, it wasn't our fault!" exclaimed Ichigo, his temper having been unleashed not long into the argument.

"Oh really," said Professor McGonagall incredulously. "Pray tell me, how was having all the Thestrals chase after you not your fault?"

"We didn't start it," Kuugo tried to explain. It was hard to though. They couldn't just say that the Thestrals adored them because they were Soul Reapers.

"I find that hard to believe," said the Professor. "Thestrals are smart creatures. They don't just chase after Wizards for no reason. Hence, you must have done something to insult them or to hurt them."

"I give up," muttered Ichigo. "We've explained this ten times now. It's not our fault you don't listen."

In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have said that. Now he was sitting as his house's table, waiting for his friends to arrive. The conversation had ended with his house losing fifty points and detention for a month with one of the teachers. She still had to sort out who was available she said.

Kuugo got the same as well and they could tell both of their houses were going to be annoyed. It was just a stupid system yet they all seemed to revel in it.

What made things worse was this was the second time he had gotten in trouble before the term had even began. First was last year before he was sorted. This time it was before the feast even began and before everyone else had managed to reach Hogwarts. He wondered if he was cursed or something.

"It's quite unfair isn't it," said a voice from behind him. Ichigo turned to see a red haired man standing behind him, a carefree smile on his face.

"I'm sorry," said Ichigo as he inspected the man. He looked like he was in his early twenties. Instead of robes however, his attire was a bit more muggle. Beige trouser with what looked a lot like the top a Soul Reaper's Shikakushou. A white sash held it shut. He also had a necklace of small coloured stones that hung around his neck, each in strange shapes. "Who are you?"

"Oh me?" said the man cheerfully. "I'm a new teacher of yours. Glad to meet you Ichigo Kurosaki."

"How do you know my name," Ichigo asked suspiciously, his guard up ready.

"No need for alarm," the man said. "I saw your marks for my subject and just had to ask the teachers about you. The orange haired Hufflepuff is kind of a giveaway."

"I see," said Ichigo, relaxing slightly.

"I'll be expecting great things from you in the future," said the man as he marched over to the teachers' table, the Great Hall's doors opening as he left. It only took a moment to spot a few familiar faces.

He saw Kuugo's friend, Tsukishima, make a beeline for the Slytherin table while the others joined him at the Hufflepuff table. Tatsuki and Chad took spaces opposite him while Uryuu grabbed the space next to him. A few Hufflepuffs glanced towards him but didn't bother saying anything. They tried at the end of year feast to get him back to his own table and they failed. It just wasn't worth making that big of a deal over, especially since the Ravenclaws made no move to steal him back.

"What happened?" demanded Tatsuki, glaring at him.

"You look angry," Ichigo commented, trying to avoid the question.

"Angry?" she said, her voice rising slightly. "I'm furious at you."

"Tatsuki-" Chad began to say.

"Don't defend him," snarled Tatsuki. "Do you know how long it takes to get from the station to Hogwarts while walking? With a heavy trunk and your owl as well."

"Technically, the owl is yours too," Ichigo pointed out.

"That doesn't matter," she shouted, a few eyes looking towards her including a glare from one of the teachers. She calmed down a bit after that.

"What happened?" she finally said, quieter this time.

"I don't know," Ichigo lied. "The carriages just started moving after us. Someone might have jinxed them or something."

Tatsuki could tell something was off with his words but she had no choice but to accept it. She had gotten something at least.

Uryuu meanwhile decided to ask later. He had seen some kind of strange horses pulling the carriages and he was sure Ichigo had as well if the looks he and Kuugo had been giving the carriages was any indication.

They didn't have to wait long before Professor McGonagall appeared, placing a stool down in the centre of the room along with the Sorting Hat. Ichigo could swear than when everyone else turned to watch the Professor leave, the hat had turned to him ever so slightly and winked, or at least winked in a way a hat could.

Before he could say anything to anyone, Professor McGonagall returned with a load of new first years, the hat taking that as its cue to burst into song. Unlike the previous year, it wasn't as strange and cool to him as it had been. When you were surrounded by talking portraits and moving staircases, a singing hat just seemed a bit plain.

He barely even noticed the sorting pass by, a few of the new first years joining Hufflepuff while he thought he saw two very excited kids get put into Gryffindor. Tatsuki was of similar mind and almost every other student seemed to be waiting for food. They didn't expect to have to walk after he and Kuugo had accidently lead the carriages away.

Dumbledore seemed to sense the hunger as well as he took that moment to say a few odd words and signal the food to appear. Only the Slytherins didn't dig straight in, their manners drilled deep into their brains since a young age, and even they were eating as quickly as they could. A few shot a some glances at Kuugo in the process but didn't do much about it. The barbs from some of the Hufflepuffs were less subtle, and Uryuu seemed to be having the time of his life complaining about him.

Ichigo couldn't suppress a scowl. It was going to be one long dinner.

When it finally got to the end, Dumbledore took to his feet for the first announcements of the term.

"Welcome back, one and all," he said, smiling down at all the students nearby. "Another year at Hogwarts has begun and it should be just as good as your lasts I hope."

A few chuckles and smiles could be seen throughout the room as Dumbledore continued.

"Now I trust you are all tired after that meal and your... unscheduled hike."

Almost half the hall turned towards Ichigo as he said this, the rest glaring at Kuugo.

"I won't keep you much longer," said Dumbledore. "So I'll quickly run through the usual things you should remember. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden as the name says. I wonder if I will ever see a day where the students actually realise that."

Dumbledore looked over to the Gryffindor table and raised his goblet to them slightly.

"Now Mr Filch has asked me to remind you that he has a list of everything banned in the school on his office's door. I would advise checking it if you are unsure if what you have brought it actually allowed. If I remember correctly, a lot of Zonko's merchandise can be found on that same list."

"Now then," Dumbledore continued. "As is our school's norm, we have a new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts. If you would please join me in welcoming Mr Gilderoy Lockhart."

Chaos broke out. If the girl wasn't a first year muggleborn or a Slytherin, they were screaming excitedly and chatting furiously amongst their friends. There were exceptions to this as Tatsuki was uninterested at all while some of the Slytherin girls were doing their best to hide their own interests.

Dumbledore let it go on for a few more moments before he silenced the room.

"I can see a lot of you are excited at this news," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Today however, we have two new teachers instead of one. It is with great displeasure that I must inform you of Professor Binns's passing."

Silence. No one spoke. Then suddenly, everyone was cheering. Normally, something like this would be disrespectful, but the man was already dead long ago. It was more like he had left than passed on to them.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore commanded. The room shut up in an instant. "That's better. If you would all give a warm welcome to our new History of Magic Professor, Mr Ashido Kanou."

The red haired man Ichigo had seen before stood up from his seat and gave a wave to the room, a beaming smile glued to his face.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Ashido said cheerfully. "I promise I'll be much more fun than that old ghost was."

"Thank you for those words," said Dumbledore, the room lightly chatting in excitement. "With that, I believe we have said everything you need to know. Prefects, please escort the first years to their dorms. I wish you all a good night's sleep."

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

"So how did I do?" asked Ashido. "I mean I tried to be neutral, but at the same time I needed to seem cooler to them than their last teacher. Binns sounded so boring. And I saw all those grades. Did the students enjoy History? I'm going to have so much work to do to rekindle their love and-"

"Breathe," Dumbledore said, chuckling.

"Oh yeah," said Ashido flustered. "Sorry. I get nervous sometimes and then I talk and talk and talk-"

"Don't worry Ashido," Dumbledore said. "You did fine. And they already are hoping you will be better. I trust you won't disappoint."

"I course not," said Ashido indignantly. "I actually love the subject. Maybe Binns did but he lost something when he died and ever since then, he hasn't had the passion. He's just been telling History, not teaching it."

"I see," said Dumbledore. "And what is the different you think between telling and teaching History."

Ashido didn't seem to notice the test or if he did, he didn't give anything away. "Isn't it obvious? Teaching is… It's…"

Ashido ran his hands through his hair in thought. "How do I explain this? It's like… Passion? That's it! Passion. Passion determines the difference. I love the subject. I can't speak about it without showing that passion. And when you show that passion to others, it draws them in themselves and intrigues them."

"Leave it to me," Ashido said with his cheerful smile. "I'll have them loving it in no time."

"I will have to trust you there," said Dumbledore. "I don't hold out to much home for the later years though. Too much time has passed and Binns has engraved himself too deeply in their minds. The first years are your ideal students to mould to love the subject with maybe a few of the other lower years."

"Ah yes," replied Ashido. "If I remember correctly, a Mr Ichigo Kurosaki is the most promising student currently for the subject?"  
"He is indeed. I was quite surprised with his mark. I don't think I have seen one so high. Certainly not in my time here at least."

"There are always students who can excel despite who taught them," Ashido commented. "I'm going to enjoy teaching him. I wonder how far he can go with my help."

"You seem interested in the boy," said Dumbledore. "If you would like, you can take over his detention. I don't believe the carriages were his fault despite what Professor McGonagall says however I don't want to overrule her. Something like that would undermine her."

"Let me guess," said Ashido, smiling at the old man. "I have to unfortunately keep him occupied with a few hours of History. Such agony. How will he cope?"

"Good," responded Dumbledore in kind. "He's got detention for a month."

"A month!" Ashido looked at the headmaster in shock. "How did he get so much? Term hadn't even started yet."

"Oh he is awfully good at getting in trouble early," said Dumbledore. "Though I believe it was extended so much due to him arguing back. Never a good thing to do against Professor McGonagall."

"That woman scares me," Ashido said shuddering. "Don't get me wrong, she's a great teacher, but she is absolutely terrifying when she's angry. All I did was place her outside the room and locked her out. How was I supposed to know that she was a Cat Animagus? It's not my fault I thought she was someone's pet."

"She will forgive you in time," said Dumbledore, patting the man on the back. "Minerva can hold a grudge but she always forgives them in the end, with a few minor exceptions."

"And I think I'm one of those minor exceptions," Ashido muttered.

Dumbledore shock his head lightly, unsure of how to reassure the man that Minerva would forgive him. He remembered the last time he had upset her. She hadn't spoken to him for days after that incident, and their jobs required a lot of communication. She was the deputy headmaster after all.

"You didn't need to escort me back you know," Ashido said as they ascended some stairs. "I could easily find my own way back."

"You definitely could," replied Dumbledore, remembering how effectively the man could navigate Hogwarts after only being there once. "You have a very good sense of direction after all. I always like to help make sure the newer teachers are settling in well."

"What about Gilderoy?"

"He's here for a year and I ran out of choices," Dumbledore admitted. "It wouldn't be that bad if he suddenly quit. I always am amazed at how the students can pass Defence Against the Dark Arts, despite the amount of teachers we go through."

"Isn't it like one a year?" asked Ashido.

"It was worse," Dumbledore said. "They originally didn't last a week. It took a lot of work to alter that Jink on the position, and even then it was too powerful to be completely removed."

"The man who casted it must still be alive then," Ashido commented offhandedly. "Otherwise, the Jink would have been able to be removed. It is somehow linked to his magic and hence, it is far more resistant to being removed than if he was dead."

Dumbledore glanced at the man from the corner of his eye. He was right. The fact that the Jink was still here showed that Voldemort was still alive somehow. The question was if Ashido knew who casted the spell.

"Here we are," said Ashido suddenly, the door to his office straight ahead. The door was far older than most in the school. Ancient almost.

"Well then, I wish you a good night." Dumbledore nodded at the new Professor before heading down the stairs. He didn't completely understand why the man had taken that room but at least he had also requested the new History classroom to be below it so he could get to and from it easily.

Ashido watched the headmaster leaving before he lowered his hand to the door. Markings on the door glowed gold for a moment before the door swung open. He had the essentials in the room including desks, bookshelves, draws and a bed, but he there was a completely different reason why he choose this room. And he was staring at it. Because right behind the desk he had placed was the room's main feature. A silver archway with runes etched into it.

* * *

**Of Darkness And Light**

* * *

Chapter 23 is done. Again, sorry for the dely. I'm getting caught up in Protector of the Fairies as well so that's a slight problem there.

Enough about that though. What did you think? Did you like Ashido? Did you like the Thestral scene? I had many different ideas of how Thestrals would react to them and this was by favourite. Hope you liked it.

Anyway, till the next time. I've been Takei. Thanks for reading.


End file.
